The Dark Emperor Ascends
by TheWishfulDreamer
Summary: Lotor has not been heard from in over a year and things seem tranquil on Arus. But the Voltron Force could never have guessed just how horrific Lotor's Reign of Terror would be upon his ascension to the throne.
1. Chapter 1

The Dark Emperor Ascends- Chapter One

For those of you who don't know, in the original Japanese version, Lotor actually forced himself on Romelle in the episode "It'll Be a Cold Day"- that is the plotline I am following here. Also, Keith's wound in "The Summit Meeting" was much more serious than in the American version let on. I just wanted to clear up any confusion anyone might have had. This is my first piece of fan fiction so I hope you enjoy.

I do not own Voltron or its characters and content.

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The Voltron team stood outside, watching the dusk turn the sky into fiery orange and deep blue hues as the sun descended. Allura's golden hair gleamed in the light, falling down her back as the men stood protectively at her side. They were all gazing ahead, drinking in the beauty of it all. At first glimpse, their view had been blissful, moments of peace with no qualms, no fear. It was a time to relish peace on Arus.

But the minutes had ebbed by into an hour, then two. Now it was growing dark, and the bubble of tranquility had been burst, its tear allowing sinister elements to wash back into view and burrow themselves into the skin of the Voltron Force.

"She's late." Allura's whisper startled them from the silence. She was staring at the horizon tensely, her hand holding tightly to the hem of her light pink gown. "Do you think something could have happened?"

"Allura." Keith's voice was gentle. "Surely nothing is wrong."

"Maybe she left late," Pidge spoke up, bestowing his best smile to console the princess.

Allura said nothing, but her lips seemed to tighten.

"Princess, Lotor hasn't been seen for over a year," Lance said firmly, reading into her qualms. "There's been nothing, no reported sightings. It seems that he has stayed on Planet Doom, preparing to ascend. Of course we'll be on our guard, but why suspect Lotor when he's nowhere in the vicinity of Arus?"

Zarkon had died under troubling circumstances not long before and now the Prince of Doom was about to become king. All had heard that another planet had sent in an assassin to kill both Zarkon and his son. The assassin had managed to slice off Zarkon's head but had been apprehended before striking down Lotor. The prince had reportedly been furious, most likely more for the assassin's intention to kill him than his father's demise, giving the assassin a dose of extreme torture before killing him. He had threatened the other planet ruthlessly for their alleged involvement. The last anyone had heard, Lotor was leading an attack of Doom against their new enemy. As for Arus, things seemed peaceful and calm. But anyone could tell the princess took this to be an unsettling reminder of the prince in his absence. He'd done nothing of late, but Allura was obviously still afraid of him. Her fright may have been irritating to some of her companions, but seemed completely rational to her- who wouldn't be afraid of Lotor when at the core of his searing desire?

"Romelle is always here when she says she will be." Allura wasn't looking at them. "It was supposed to be two hours ago that she would arrive, with Sven." Her eyes searched the sky, seemingly in fruitless search of her cousin. _Oh, God. Why isn't she here yet?_

Keith started to lead her back inside. "We can wait in the castle for them," he said kindly, trying his hardest to placate her fears. "It will be dark soon."

Allura, instead, settled herself on the grass. "I'll wait here." She knew she was irritating them, but right now she couldn't have cared less. She wasn't going to be satisfied with guesses until Romelle arrived safe and sound.

Keith knew that look. She was being stubborn and ignoring the disapproving looks on both Lance and Hunk's faces. Smiling dryly, Keith sat next to her. _She knows we can't just leave her alone like this._ Secretly, he didn't mind.

The others went back inside, trusting Keith to protect her. It reminded him of the time Lotor had almost gotten the princess as she ran from the castle, believing that if she stayed there would be danger. As foolish as the others had found it, he knew that she had gotten this warning from the vision of her own departed father. _Hell, if my father came back to tell me something, I'd do it, too._ He alone had been the one to save her (and nearly gotten a fatal wound in the process). It had hurt so bad, but when he remembered the desperate look on Allura's face as Lotor grasped her, he didn't regret it. He would do it again. "Can you imagine Allura's life should Lotor capture her?" Coran had questioned right beforehand. Keith never wanted to have to picture that ever again.

Soon the sun was gone, tucked away and enveloping them in the moonlight. Allura sat quietly, saying nothing. She seemed so troubled that Keith found he had nothing to say. He felt that familiar feeling searing within him, surging troublesomely. It was no wonder, since he was sitting right next to her under the stars. Awkwardly, he listened to the sounds of their breathing. Hers was so faint he could hardly hear the wispy breaths at all.

Eventually, she caught him looking at her. "Do you think I worry too much, Keith?" Her voice seemed so quiet and perturbed that he wasn't so sure he could find his own voice to respond.

He managed a soft smile for her. "No, Allura. Sometimes it's better to be too careful than careless."

She nodded slowly. "I don't like to admit it to anyone," she mumbled. "I'm the princess of Arus, soon to be Queen. I shouldn't be afraid of anyone. But I am. That is a weakness a ruler should never have." She looked away, her eyes shut for a moment.

He put an arm around her, and his body tingled as he did so. He usually never touched the princess, except when helping her. The occasional time they'd be walking and she'd stumbled, pulling her out of harm's way. But now that she seemed upset, he realized his weak words could not be as comforting as he wanted them to be. "Even if you fear Lotor, you've shown nothing but strength against him. Nobody is fearless, Allura."

"Get in here!" Lance's voice called to them as he and Hunk and Pidge stood near the drawbridge. "You've been out there too long! Nanny will have a heart attack!"

Allura stood up and said quietly, "Thank you, Keith."

Keith stifled a grimace as he stood reluctantly. _Thanks a lot, Lance_. "Of course, princess. Let's get you inside now. We'll wait for them there."

Allura started to oblige when the sound of an aircraft overhead startled them. All of them looked up at the descending craft and Allura finally smiled when it touched the ground.

"Sorry we are late." That familiar voice, an accent they had all grown to miss, wafted to their ears. Sven got out first before offering his hand to Romelle. That blue dress swished over her shoes, the straight golden sheet of tresses behind her. And those sparkling blue eyes that seemed to mirror Allura's own.

Allura broke into a run toward her cousin and gave her a tight hug. "I was so worried."

Romelle laughed and pulled back gently. "Why worry, Allura?"

"You're worried when I'm here?" Sven chuckled in amusement. "Oh, princess you must not think of me as a very good bodyguard!"

"Hmmmph!" Hunk grunted now, the princess out of hearing range. "Why does she have to worry so much?  
Lance tried to warn him with his face, but it was too late. Keith's irritation could be seen even in the dimness. "You can't blame her for being afraid of Lotor, Hunk. Can you imagine how it must have been for her, all those times he's tried to capture her, has captured her? Can you imagine what that must have been like?" His eyes burned. "You know what he would have done if we hadn't been there," he added softly. The men were all silent for a moment, greatly disturbed by the thought of Lotor having his way with the princess.

"That is why she has every right to worry," Keith continued, his face taut in seriousness.

"But Lotor hasn't been seen in so long," Hunk protested, his rotund face reddening.

"Don't be silly," Lance said now, stepping forward. "We all know he'll come back."

"Yeah," Pidge added. "Lotor hates to lose, we all know that."

"And Romelle…" Lance continued quietly. Now they all looked over at the Polluxian princess, who seemed cheerful, embracing her cousin while in the arms of Sven.

They had never forgotten after hearing the news, the atrocities Romelle had gone through while imprisoned under Lotor. She had shown surprising strength but it was hard to believe that she was unaffected. Hunk looked down, uncomfortable until he finally nodded in agreement. "We'll protect her." They all watched as Allura giggled, ushering Romelle and Sven into the castle. Her eyes were bright and innocent, as expected from their princess. She didn't know what had happened.

Dinner, festivities, laughing like old times. It was the epitome of relaxed nights the team had had in the past year. Allura never wanted the evening to end. Keith was pleased to see that cheeriness back in her eyes.

"It's late," Coran announced after midnight. "We should all think about retiring for the evening." He raised his eyebrow specifically at the princess, who sighed, but took his advice. "Follow me, Romelle," she said cheerfully. Both of the women left then, heading down the hall as Keith looked after them.

"Geez, buddy, you could burn a hole through Allura's clothes if you don't stop staring," Lance teased.

Keith grimaced. "Shhh!" Lord only knew what would happen if Coran heard that.

Allura and Romelle brushed their hair out together before retiring for the night.

Allura spun around in a circle, her nightgown fluttering as she laughed breathlessly. "Oh, what a night!" Her eyes held nothing but joy. "I hope it will always be this way."

"What way? What is so unusual about tonight?" Romelle laughed, still looking into the mirror on the dressing table.

"We can relax, be at peace. No Planet Doom. No violence, no pain." She sighed happily. "No Lotor."  
A crack echoed through the air as Romelle dropped her hairbrush. Allura caught sight of her face in the mirror- ashen, no color.

"Romelle?" Allura's voice was so quiet it could barely be heard.

Romelle grabbed the brush, her face tense.

"Is something wrong?"

Romelle looked up. Allura was so innocent, so kind. She had no idea what Lotor had intended for her and probably still did as he marched around his home palace, preparing to be Emperor. She didn't need to hear the brutal details. No use in worrying her more.

Romelle managed a weak smile and turned around. "It is nothing. Let us go to bed."

A strange bird's song sifted through the shutters of the palace windows and enveloped Allura in song. She had been dreaming, curled up into a ball in her silky white nightgown. The black sky and its luminous stars seemed to be calling for her to awaken. The tulip fields and falling rose petals vanished as she was startled into being awake, back to the darkness of her bedroom. She yawned and smoothed her gown. What was I dreaming? She thought. About flowers? She remembered once before when flowers had deceived her. _No_, she rebuked herself. _I was dreaming about beautiful, ordinary flowers._ Why can I not live a normal life again and forget the past? She pondered more over the dream. Who had been there in that throng of happiness? She's caught a flash of red. Keith? She blushed and giggled out loud, immediately covering her mouth so as not to wake up Romelle. But when she looked over at the other bed, Romelle was nowhere to be seen. Puzzled, Allura got up and donned a robe over her nightgown. Fixing her hair up and the silver diadem across her forehead, she quietly hurried to find Romelle. A search around the castle yielded nothing. She stood alone as darkness seemed to crawl across her skin. The sound of silence felt too unnerving, especially when she was all alone. The shadows of the room began to play tricks on her mind. Golden eyes flashed into her mind and she shook her head in contempt, hurrying down the hallway and struggling to release the image from her thoughts. _I cannot let him frighten me this way, for him to stalk even my thoughts. _The prince of doom was so intimidating that even his absence struck fear into her heart. Her breath heavy, she stopped near the meeting room.

She could hear soft voices and see light coming from the open door. Cautiously, she stood in the hallway; she could hear Coran's voice as he lectured the men, something with so grave a voice she knew the situation had to be dire. "It is urgent that we speak of this."

"But why so late?" Hunk grumbled, clearly exhausted. "Why not wait until tomorrow?"

"So the princess does not hear my thoughts on this matter. I have decided not to discuss this with her yet. "

Allura froze in her tracks, chills forming along her body. What could Coran have to say?

"Lotor hasn't been heard from in a year, but nonetheless, we have her health to think of. The Princess Allura must marry as soon as possible, not only to produce an heir, but because of the constant danger she has been in. In other words, she must marry before…heaven forbid, her virtue be stolen." Keith's face tensed at the mere inference.

"That's unnecessary," Lance protested. "We will protect her."

"How many times has she been captured?" Coran raised a forbidding eyebrow.

Hunk made an enraged noise under his breath. "She was rescued, wasn't she?" he challenged angrily.

"She never should have been captured at all," Coran rebuked him sharply. "And there is no excuse for that."

"No," Keith admitted firmly. "We aren't making any excuses."

"I should think not, Commander. But what are the plans you have to stop any future problems?"

"We're keeping up our drills, and maintaining the castle's defense. We're on standby in case any threats come in range of Arus." Keith looked Coran in the eye. "Without us, the princess would be in even more danger than before."

Coran was taken aback, but surprisingly bowed his head in admittance. "Yes, that is true. And I am grateful for you all. Do not take my criticism as dislike, because I could not be happier that the princess counts you as her guardians. But we all must admit that the princess is inevitably a target of great danger and that if she were to be captured for any further length of time, the results could only be unspeakable."

All of the men were very quiet for several minutes. Finally, Coran said, "No matter what the level of danger, she must marry and it is best for her to do so as soon as possible. There must be an heir." He paused. "There must be a king."

"Who are you considering?" Keith's quiet voice, revealing no emotion.

"I am not sure. She must marry a prince, at least." Coran sighed. "I've looked into princes of our allies and am considering searching and screening all possibilities, whoever seems most desirous. An alliance with another planet would do Arus much good and would ensure the Arusian line would continue." He looked at the men carefully. "You've all been very candid with the princess. But that must cease as of now. She is not of your kind. She is royal and should be treated as such. She must interact with men of her own station."

Hunk gnashed his teeth. "For someone who is supposedly so grateful, you sure do seem to love insulting us, Coran."

"It's none of our concern who you choose to marry the princess to," Lance spoke up heatedly, also enraged by the comment. "Our job is to defend Arus, not get involved in politics."

"As defenders of Arus, you should know what I am considering," Coran said, not at all perturbed at the inflicted offense he had caused. "There is no need to be upset at my proposals. You all knew when you took this position that you were to be the guardians, not suitors, of the princess."

"Of course," Lance snapped. "There was never any question of that."

Allura turned away, not wanting to hear the rest. She had always known the time for marriage was on its way. But she didn't want to think of it now. She wished Keith had shown some objection to the idea, as though he didn't want her to be with another man. But instead, he had said nothing. Only Hunk and Lance had seemed bothered. She felt sore at knowing Coran was right; they could never be seen as suitors. Dismally, she looked down at the cold floor. She had known for some time that she had feelings for him. She hadn't admitted it to herself until Lotor had sliced his blade across Keith's chest and he'd almost died. For hours, it had seemed that Keith would die, and her heart had throbbed miserably as she realized that her life would never be the same without him. She'd recalled all those moments that warmed her heart, such as when he entered the room, the sight of him in the doorway, down the hall. Even his voice during practice drills. Something felt so good inside just at his presence. When Keith had been proclaimed healed, she felt a new kind of apprehension: not only was this love forbidden by her title, but she'd seen nothing from Keith that indicated he felt the same way. Those smiles were polite, out of duty. Certainly, he was kind, but who was to say that he was nothing more than simply friendly? Even if Keith loved her, Coran would never allow him to marry her. It just couldn't be done. The thought of marrying someone else made her feel empty. She would make Coran and Arus happy with an heir and future for them; that, she wanted out of duty. But she would forever be looking at Keith out of the corner of her eye and questioning his inner thoughts.

Slowly, she ventured up on the roof, to look at the stars. The sound of sobbing confronted her ears and she could see Romelle, lying on the ground, her face in anguish. She had almost forgotten her initial reason for getting out of bed. "Romelle?"

Her cousin turned away. "Allura, what are you doing here?"

"I-I woke up and you were gone," she stammered, worried about how to ask what was wrong. She did not simply want to come forth and make Romelle feel worse.

Romelle hid her face away. "I needed fresh air." She sounded so meek and drained that Allura felt a shudder go up her spine. What had caused Romelle to go from so cheerful to so upset in one night?

"D-Did you have a fight with Sven?" Allura asked quietly, thinking of her own anxiety over Keith.

"No, I didn't. Please go back to bed, Allura. I- would like to be alone."

Allura nodded silently and turned to go back to her bedroom. Suddenly, Romelle let out an anguished wail. "Why did it have to happen? Why couldn't I stop it?"

Allura turned to her instantly and knelt beside her, uncertain of what she meant. But then it hit her. Coran's words about her endangered virtue finally started to pump through her. What Lotor could have done, would have done to her and- Oh, God. She gaped at Romelle in horror. He HAD done it. Allura put her arms around her cousin, squeezing tightly, crying at the thought of what had happened. "I'm so sorry, Romelle." The tears poured out faster than a waterfall as she sobbed. "So sorry." _To think he did that to Romelle because she looks like me!_ "I had no idea." She ached at the sight of Romelle's suffering.

Romelle looked back at her, her eyes somber. "We decided not to tell you, for your own sake."

Allura pulled back and sniffled. "We? You mean- they all know and didn't tell me?!" All of the men knew about what Lotor had done and had kept it amongst themselves? She felt partially infuriated, but otherwise horrified.

"We did not want to upset you."

"Upset me?" Allura sniffled. "After what he did…"

Romelle shook her head. "The important thing is that you are safe." Allura was gaping at her in pity. "I was unconscious through most of it," she added, to placate Allura's guilt.

And Allura held her some more. "Romelle, I'm so sorry." Romelle, in turn, put her arms around her cousin, to show that there was no need to feel guilty. Romelle had never once blamed Allura for Lotor's attack. She smiled weakly and wiped the tears from Allura's cheeks.

"It is over now," she murmured. "And I have Sven to help me move on. But sometimes, the nightmares will not abide with my resistance. They keep coming back to me, and ushering in those memories all over again…"

It seemed so sudden that a shot came from the dark. Romelle pushed Allura and they both avoided the blast, just barely. "What- what's happening?" Weakly, Romelle raised her eyes to their worst nightmare. Putting an arm around Allura, who was whimpering in fright, Romelle ushered the both of them to their feet.

"How lovely it is to see such a beautiful woman in the moonlight." Lotor took a step forward and Romelle ushered the both of them backwards. "Two, at that. It shall be my lucky night."

Romelle stood in front of her cousin. "Allura- run!" she whispered.

"Oh, no you don't." Lotor positioned himself near the stairwell leading back down to the inner palace. "I came here specifically for Allura. I am the Emperor of Planet Doom- and I've come to collect my bride."

"How did you get here?" Romelle asked breathlessly, still obviously in shock at his presence.

"I have my ways," Lotor replied gleefully. "They surpass the greatest strategies of your pathetic Voltron force."

His minions, whom the women hadn't even noticed due to being so focused on their aggressor, left their camouflage and advanced. Allura and Romelle began to run. "There's nowhere to go!" Allura called breathlessly. "It's a dead end!"

"We can work our way down, if we're fast enough," Romelle said firmly. One of the minions grabbed at Romelle's ankle and she stumbled, closer to the edge. She stood shakily as Allura rushed forward to help her, but the lunge of one minion sent Romelle flying over the side. Allura grabbed Romelle's hand before she could plummet down. "Hold on." Allura gritted her teeth, trying to pull Romelle back up. She'd never been forced to use so much strength before. On her knees, she pulled every muscle in her arms trying to bring her cousin back to safety on the castle roof.

"Allura-" Romelle's voice was a whisper, shaking terribly. "Run."

"Not until I've pulled you up." Allura was trying so desperately to pull up her cousin that she had nearly forgotten about Lotor.

"It's too late, he's right behind you!" Romelle cried out, watching Lotor hover over Allura, the axes on his helmet glimmering sinisterly.

"Such a sweet show of affection." Lotor's voice was feigning tenderness. Allura's face tensed in fear. "Such strength Allura. It is always pleasing to see such a spirited woman. I could help, should you both agree to come willingly…"

"Yes," Allura said instantly, for she knew full well Romelle would fall if there was no help.

Romelle closed her eyes and Allura screamed when she let go. That blue dress billowed out as she soared through the air. _Allura_, she thought weakly, _you must defend yourself now. I cannot help you._ And she gave one last sigh before her body hit the water.

"ROMELLE!" Allura's scream penetrated the air.

It was then that Keith and the others rushed over, finally there to see the predicament that had been taking place. They arrived on the roof to see Lotor holding Allura, unconscious in his arms. "I have your princess right here," he said quietly. "If you make one move, she won't be so safe."

Keith snarled and put a hand on his laser pistol.

"Not so fast, Commander," Lotor hissed. "Do you want her to go over the side like the other one?"

A horrid silence came over the men as they frantically looked at one another. _There…it couldn't be…he didn't mean-! _

Sven's face grew pale. Keith spoke now, heatedly demanding, "What did you do to her?"

"She let go with her own free will," Lotor laughed as his minions stood protectively in front of him. "Rather than come back to Doom with me. No matter. Allura alone will greatly suffice."

A cloud of smoke overcame the men and when it cleared, Lotor and his minions were gone. And with them, Allura.

Coran and Nanny were soon on the scene. They didn't have to ask to know what was going on. Nanny immediately took out her handkerchief and began to weep as Coran put a hand over his face. Hunk and Lance stood in shock, unable to speak as Pidge ran over to the side of the castle , looking down. He saw nothing and let out an aggrieved sigh.

Keith fell to his knees and banged his fist onto the ground in frustration. The princess had been quite right to worry.

----

I know it probably seems silly that Lotor is able to simply appear on Arus without being detected, but I promise there will be a reasonable explanation later on down the line!

Also, it has been quite some time since I last saw Voltron. I'm not entirely sure that the castle had a moat, but hey, nobody minds that being thrown in, right? ;D

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

The Dark Emperor Ascends- Chapter Two

Note: In the episode "It'll Be A Cold Day", remember how Romelle is suddenly passed out in the prison cell? In the Japanese version, Lotor had to hit her in the back of the neck to knock her out. Just wanted to let anyone who didn't know this know so there will not be any confusion at the reference! Also, before Lotor threw Romelle in the pit of skulls in a later episode, he dragged her by the hair and was pretty violent, going so low as to punch her as well, which was edited down for Volron in America. Sincline, Lotor's original counterpart, was pretty evil, huh?

The M rating comes into play, with some adult language and mature content, beginning in this chapter.

Once again, I do not own Voltron, etc.

---

"Allura, Allura!" Keith kept repeating. He ran a hand through his hair in disbelief and took some deep breaths, trying to wake himself up from this obvious nightmare. But when nothing changed, he knew it had to be real. But how could it be? Lotor had been able to get onto the roof of the palace without anyone noticing a thing. The only reason they'd all ran to the roof was when they'd heard Allura screaming. _She felt silly for her fear...and we all tried to tell her there was nothing to worry about. How stupid could we have been to try to convince her not to worry?_ Everyone was motionless, their eyes to the ground. Nothing could be heard but the sound of the wind whipping around in the distance. Keith was beginning to lose patience. Standing around in shock wasn't going to get anything done. Lotor's ship got closer to Doom every moment.

"Sven, fly the Blue Lion! We need to form Volt-" The words weren't even out of his mouth when Sven seized the front of Keith's suit.

"How the hell could ask you that of me after what's happened?! Oh God-" Keith was startled by the appearance of tears streaming down Sven's cheeks. "Don't you understand?!" he screamed into Keith's face. "She'd dead!" Keith was stunned into silence as Sven continued to wail. "I was going to pop the question tomorrow- I was going…" He sank to his knees and sobbed into his hands, covering his face. Everyone else stood staring in complete silence, too overwhelmed and bewildered to say anything.

Finally, Lance spoke. "We can try it without Voltron- all of us who can go, should go. We have to stop Lotor. Follow me if you're able."

Keith instantly stepped forward.

"Yes," Lance said now, his voice soft. "Of course you would be able, Commander."

Keith gave him a dark look. No one knew more than Lance how much Allura meant to him.

Hunk stepped forward as well but Pidge murmured, "I'll stay with Sven until we're both ready to follow."

Keith nodded. "We'll keep in contact. Tell us if you hear anything." He suddenly became aware of Coran's heated gaze and turned to him expectantly. But Coran simply said, "Go. I will see to things here." Nanny sniffled and said, "Please, Commander. Go to her before it's too late!"

Keith, Lance, and Hunk headed out, leaving Sven with his face buried into his knees. Pidge looked woefully out into the moat, a single tear falling from his eyes as he blinked.

"How the hell did this happen?" Lance kept repeating as the trio rushed down the hallway. "How did we not detect Lotor?"

"Something is wrong." Hunk looked around the control room. "And I get the feeling that it was no mere accident that our equipment didn't pick up anything." He inspected the control console. "It's no wonder. Nothing is working." He touched every button with no response. The viewing screen also remained dark. "Everything was fine earlier…it must have happened while we were meeting with Coran."

"But why didn't we hear anything, then?" Keith was looking at the rest of the equipment. "With the meeting room so close, you'd think…"

"The guards didn't hear anything either, apparently. I don't know how they did it, but they got us." Lance sighed in frustration. "That's why Lotor stayed out of sight for so long. He planned it all from the very beginning."

Keith's fists were clenched. _That bastard was planning to take her all this time and he thinks we're not going to do anything about it?_ "There's no time to talk about this now. Let's go!"

-

Allura stood in the corridors, deep within the palace of Doom. She stood idly, staring ahead of her at the dim hall , her face pale and drained. She'd already tried to escape three times. The first two times, Lotor himself had dragged her back. The last time, the guards had caught her, in Lotor's absence. She'd nearly fainted at the feel of their scaly hands against her skin. "Fresh meat!" They had laughed viciously, physically tossing her from one to the other like she was a ball, and they cackled as they played catch with her tender, innocent skin, howling in amusement as she cried out in fear.

"Stop that," a Doomite had called to them. "She is for our King and no other." They'd decided to lock her within the confines of the royal corridor, Lotor's own personal sector of the palace, where no one else tread without his expressed permission. Her hands were now placed within chains in front of her, binding her tortuously. They were going to tell him that she'd tried again.

Allura had cursed herself numerous times already for not getting dressed upon getting out of bed earlier back on Arus. Roaming around in Lotor's own wing of the castle in only her nightgown and a flimsy robe made being on Doom ten times worse. She swallowed as she recalled Romelle, who had been so distraught over the idea of being taken by Lotor again that she'd actually fallen to her death by choice. Is it really so terrible that she would have chosen that? Allura thought. She herself knew that this was an option she could never choose. What about Arus?

Dismally, she stared down at her bound wrists, the cold yet searing metal. It frustrated her that she was now a slave-she, the princess, the near-Queen shackled like any common prisoner. The portrait of a woman caught her eye on the wall. Blonde, blue-eyed. Beautiful. Why was there a portrait of a human woman here? She was too dazed to give the matter much thought. _She looks like Romelle_, Allura thought to herself somberly. And as many said Romelle in turn, looked like Allura. Now Allura wanted to know who this third girl was and why she had shivers travelling up and down her spine as she stared at her eyes. Somber, she slowly tore herself away from the portrait. Again, she could not get the image of Romelle's desperate face as she let go. _Why did you let go, Romelle?_ Allura's face twisted into sorrow as she threw herself onto the bed in the room she had been given. _Why?_

_-  
_

_The wind hit so hard, resisting Romelle's body as she was hurled down so many feet into the moat. Many thoughts crossed her mind as she tore through the air, Allura's scream echoeing through her ears. The fall just seemed to take forever and she'd had much time to think. Firstly, that cold, horrid day branded itself in her memory. In the cell, she'd pressed her body into the wall behind, trying to move her body away from the crown prince of Doom. _No_, she'd thought as he reached for her. _Not like this!_ She wasn't going to let him force himself on her without a struggle. He'd had to hit her in the back of the neck for her to finally stop fighting. She'd blacked out completely. And when she woke up, it had been too late to stop anything. She felt searing pain as he thrusted into her, repeatedly pounding into her body. She had been inconsolable, in disbelief that this was even happening; she'd always wanted to be virtuous, the same quality Allura was known for, as well as for the sake of her prospects as the princess of Pollux. She'd always thought she would fight to the death for it. But Lotor had managed to get around that sheer will by putting her into the ultimate state of vulnerability. He taunted her with vile words, rebuking her for weakness and his own triumph over her. Romelle had wept then, her dignity gone. Lotor smiled in pure elation when he was done, rolling onto his side to face her. He was so smug, his whole body and manhood out in the open._

_"You're not as good as Allura," he said then, tracing her lips as the tears poured freely from her eyes, in silent agony. "But you'll do. At least in the meantime."_

_Her body had ached, not only where he'd been inside of her, but from the grip he'd had on her shoulders, so hard those fingers seemed to pierce through her flesh. He did the same thing, again and again. She had been left sprawled in a battered heap on his bed. The worst was that he pretended she was Allura, to increase his own pleasure. Each time he pulled back and looked at her face he seemed disappointed. At some reminder of her, he would be aroused again. But Romelle couldn't blame the princess of Arus for Lotor's perverse wickedness. She continued to hope that Allura, her innocent relative, would never have to endure such a fate.  
_

_Then she'd been sent back to her cell, where she'd collapsed. Eventually, she'd pressed her companions to attempt escape. She'd tried to stab him only to be recaptured again. She'd wanted to kill him, tear him to pieces for the death of her father and his violation of her. Even later, at the threat of death, she refused to submit to Lotor. At one point, her harsh words caused him to beat her. She'd never forgotten the sensation of blood and pain, fresh across her face. No one had ever treated her so badly before, but the prince of Doom was willing to attack anyone who crossed him. Not long after, he'd dragged her by the hair and thrown her into the pit of skulls. As she was now, she had tried to forget him, forget his invasion of her body and the vicious beatings. But that resolve could not last forever. The past had caught up to her, after so long of giving chase. She could never get over what had been done to her. And she wanted that pain to end._

_And yet:_

_"Sven…" The name came softly from her lips during the fall. He'd helped soothe the pain so much. He was the only reason she hadn't collapsed. But as Lotor had stood above her and Allura and said he was taking them both, that screaming pain had burst through her once again. She could not even begin to fathom submission. Her and Allura being led to Lotor's castle. He would make Allura his wife, Romelle his concubine. Bile rushed into her mouth as the pursuit ensued. Allura, dear heart, held her hand so tight, refusing to let her fall. But the thought of Lotor conquering her again was too much. She had been looking down in dread, then closing her eyes weakly. She opened her eyes and above Allura's strained face and desperate expression, she could see those golden eyes leering at her. After his savoring eyes swept over Allura, he'd glanced at Romelle challengingly. Such cruelty; he would certainly do it again. Instantly, she'd let go, falling back-first toward the water. She felt guilty for abandoning Allura but she wouldn't have been able to help her anyway. She felt most regret over being parted from Sven, whom she loved more dearly than anyone she had ever known. But she had already made her decision. She held her hand up as the wind whipped her hair upwards. "Sven, Allura- goodbye." The splash had been deafening, even for Allura, who was dozens of feet above. The tossing waves had eventually settled back to normal as nothing resurfaced. Allura held her hand towards the water and tried to speak after that first scream. Her body shuddered as only horrified noises came from her throat.  
_

_A few bubbles came to the surface, in the spot where Romelle had fallen, only to dissipate moments later. Then the water was still._

_-  
_

Allura awoke; the sound of Lotor's boots against the hard, cold floor echoed throughout the corridor. Instantly she turned to hide, getting into a corner. She would never be able to defend herself with bound hands. Even with free hands, she was literally doomed. Lotor was known far and wide for his strength, insurmountable for most men- thus, especially for her. This corner was the only place suitable to avoid being detected instantly. Under the bed, in the closet. She knew those would be the first places he would look. It would only be a matter of time- short time- before he found her.

"My Princess…" the call beckoned her, resonating. It seemed to ricochet into every corner, that smug, lustful voice penetrating her fretful ears. "Where have you run off to?"

Her breathing grew heavier; she felt like someone was sitting on her chest. He hadn't hurt her yet; he'd been too busy with certain matters to take advantage of his sweet prize since the night before. But now he was ready for pleasure after a long day of work. She remembered all those times Coran, Nanny, and especially Keith had assured her that she would never be forced to endure a moment on Doom. But now here she was.

She curled up, hugging her knees . Romelle's face kept flashing into her mind, the pain of being broken by Lotor's aggression. Now she was next. Allura held back her tears but shuddered when she recalled all the times she had been face-to-face with her practical stalker. The time he'd accosted her on the bridge, a smile of prowess lighting up that faintly purple skin... When he'd actually broken into her bedroom and had her pressed up against the door, that face so dangerously close... His obsession meant that what was in store for her would probably be worse than anything he had done to Romelle.

She heard those boots trek into another room across the hall.

More questions plagued Allura as she sat, trying to quiet her breath. How had Lotor gotten on Arus without any warning? No alert had been given; nothing had been detected; the guards had seen nothing. What strategies did he have that were so covert, so amazing that he could have accomplished this? She had a sneaking suspicion that if Lotor had managed to do this, he had probably done something to stop the Force from coming after her. She wasn't so sure what had happened after she lost consciousness, for the first thing she had awoken to was Lotor nudging her that they had arrived on Doom. However, as much faith as she had in her guardians, she questioned whether they could could do much against Doom. They couldn't form Voltron...well, Sven was there, but he wouldn't want to fight after what happened. Allura shut her eyes at the reminder. She was certain that Lotor had more crafty surprises up his sleeves.

"There you are."

Allura looked up to see Lotor leering down at her, those golden irises flashing. She was still in her nightgown, the robe barely compensating for coverage. What she wore was so thin he could make out the outline of her body quite clearly.

"I hear you tried to escape again, my pretty." He knelt down beside her, those lips pursed knowingly; Lotor was perfectly aware of her fright, even if her face seemed neutral, if not just a smidge desperate. "It is quite depressing to see you in irons…to see such beauty confined is always a tragedy." Allura prickled at the obviousness of his lie; any fool could have easily seen that seeing her chained enticed him greatly.

"And yet you had no problem putting Romelle into bondage." Allura's eyes flashed, tears behind that she kept hidden. Her tone was scathing. Lotor studied her carefully for a moment, those accusing eyes burning into him. "I know what you did to her."

At this, Lotor grinned. "And you were surprised?"

She gritted her teeth at him, such was her anger. "Your actions only reflect on your true worth."

Lotor made to dive at her and she bent back, whimpering as she held her bound hands in front of her.

"You speak so boldly, with fire in your eyes. And yet you cower from me openly." Lotor chuckled, taking Allura firmly by the shoulders and forcing her to look in his face. "But I've always loved that." The declaration became a whisper as he forced a harsh kiss on her lips. This time, backed into a corner, Allura had no chance to break away. She tried to press her hands against him to push him away, but accomplished nothing. Laughing cruelly, he took both bound wrists in one hand and used the other to keep Allura from pulling away. "Tell me, Allura. Have you enjoyed your first taste of Doom?"

-

"THE LIONS WON'T MOVE!" Keith screamed in frustration as they all tried. "They're malfunctioned!" He banged his fist into the gears. "Shit! What are we going to do now?"

"Calm down, Keith," Lance said coolly. "We'll take Sven's craft."

"Then how are Sven and Pidge going to catch up to us again?" Hunk raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like a very good plan."

"We have no other choice, Hunk," Keith panted as they all rushed outside. "The longer we wait here, the more danger Allura is in."

After they'd all gathered inside with Hunk flying, he said, "This is pretty insane. How the hell did Lotor manage to destroy all of our equipment? We didn't detect anything, view anything, and now we can't fly the lions even though they've all been within eyesight the entire time."

"This sounds like Haggar's work to me," Hunk grumbled in annoyance. "Damned witch."

"Haggar was never able to do anything like this before." Lance was grim. "How could she have obtained such power in so short of time? Something is wrong, and I don't like the look of it. God knows what else he has planned up there."

Keith let out a growl and Lance looked over at him. "Calm down. There's nothing we can do right now."

Keith said bitterly, "How can I calm down? You know what that bastard is going to do to her."

Lance sighed and contacted Pidge on his communicator. "Pidge, we're taking Sven's craft because the lions are malfunctioned. Lotor's done something to them. I need you to try to find a way to get them running again or find another craft to take when you're ready and able."

"Ok, Lance. I'll talk to Coran about the lions. Just go and get the princess back." Pidge's voice was strained and Lance could tell he was probably still on the roof comforting Sven. Sure enough, Coran's voice soon came to them. "Your mission must be as covert as possible. They will know you are coming. You're going to have to come up with a plan." Lance switched off the communicator and turned to the Commander.

"It's going to take a long time to get there in this thing. We should take Coran's advice."

"What kind of a plan are we supposed to come up with?" Keith growled. "They know we're coming and there's probably no way to get there secretly."

"Come on, Keith." Lance was disappointed. "Since when do you ever give up so easily. You're letting your emotions get to your head and not thinking straight. You know we can't just go to Doom without a plan."

Sullenly, the Commander made no reply.

Impatiently, Lance glared at him. "At least you still have Allura, Keith." And for a moment, they sat in silence. Romelle was dead, Sven was shattered, and Allura was trapped, held somewhere in the confines of her captor's palace.

Keith closed his eyes and pictured the Crown Prince of Doom, now Emperor, sitting on his throne, callously drinking wine and laughing at the torment of the Voltron Force. It had only just begun.


	3. Chapter 3

The Dark Emperor Ascends- Chapter Three

Note: Voltron wrote off images of a woman in Lotor's dream as being Allura; most viewers know by now that this woman was, in actuality, Lotor's mother, whose backstory is given in more detail in the original Japanese series.

I do not own Voltron or any of its elements.

---

Allura bent her head back, trying desperately to avoid Lotor's lips from invading hers again. He kissed her neck instead, enjoying the pleasure immensely before seizing her shoulders and forcing their lips to merge once again. She could feel his tongue entering her mouth, trying to conquer her. His body seemed to shudder with excitement. She'd never had Keith even kiss her and now Lotor was going to take her? His hands began to roam and worry jolted across her mind that he would act on his lust now.

"Lotor, please-"Allura found herself crying out in sheer desperation. Anything to avoid it. She began to dig her nails in the hand that held her wrists, pained by not only his strong grip, but the scraping of the metal chains against her skin.

"Lay still…" he whispered into her ear. "And I won't take you completely tonight."

Allura nodded and lay still, grateful for the bargain. But she knew that if he was willing to wait, not only would the real thing be excruciating for her, but for now he would exert his pleasure in other lewd ways. And she despised him even more for the way he laughed at her fear.

Eventually, Lotor stood her up and said, "Before we begin any of that, allow me to show you this part of the palace. After we wed, then I will show you more of the planet." Allura tried not to grimace. Surveying Planet Doom would be far less than a pleasure trip. She closed her eyes at the accounts she had heard. Keith had once hushed Lance from speaking more about these rumors in front of her. To know she stood within the capital of Doom, a place of hellish torment and cruel inhabitants (as well as unfortunate victims), made her feel nauseated. She alone was not the only one in a dire position. She knew about the whipped slaves, the victimized servants. And that was only a small portion of what Doom really held, because Lance had stopped talking about it as soon as Keith admonished him. How could she be the Queen of such evil? It wasn't only for anger at Lotor that she resisted.

Lotor stopped in the center of the corridor, holding her close as they both watched the sun set on Doom. Even that seemed unremarkable, not a beautiful sight like the last sunset she had witnessed on Arus…with Keith by her side. With one hand, she held her robe closed tightly. Nothing had ever made her so uneasy before this but to be standing in flimsy night clothes next to Lotor. She could hear her heart beating, pounding frantically as he wrapped an arm around her waist. She kept her eyes everywhere but on Lotor, who never seemed to take his eyes off her face.

"That woman," Allura finally said timidly, pointing at the portrait she had seen earlier. _The one who looks like me_. "Who is she?"

Lotor smiled thinly, putting his other arm around Allura's shoulder. "My mother. Doesn't she look familiar?"

Allura looked at him in astonishment. This was Lotor's mother? She seemed so gentle...but with the influence of a father like Zarkon and the atmosphere of Doom, it would have been impossible for Lotor to have been raised with a similar character.

"She was in my father's harem."

"Against her will…?" Allura whispered the question now, frightened to even think of the scenario. Memories began to flood back in. Talk of Lotor seemed an ignited spark when he made his first appearance on Arus and a surly introduction to the Voltron Force. On sight, she knew he would be a formidable opponent- enticed by her even before he became obsessive in his pursuit and relentlessly opposed to Voltron. This was the son of Zarkon, sworn enemy of Arus. Yet, he did not look so much like his father; this was because his mother was from Arus, abducted during one of the many raids. This had been over a hundred years past. Allura eyed Lotor, pondering his age. Doomites did not age as humans did, which is why he still had a youthful appearance. _To think that when I was born, he was already around eighty years old...who knows how much evil he did before I was even brought into existence? _

"Yes," Lotor finished for her, his eyes taunting her. "He threatened her with his claws and so she had no choice but to serve him. He wanted her badly for she was so beautiful. He couldn't simply give up because of her resistance." Lotor's gaze swept over her with great emphasis and she took a step back from him. Allura's cheeks felt hot and she sensed chills rise on the back of her neck. "For some time, he had her," Lotor continued as she looked at him fearfully. "And he wanted to make her his Queen. Finally, he would have an heir. He was quite ecstatic when she finally became pregnant." Allura crossed her arms in a protective gesture, no doubt affected by the thought of this woman's torment. "But she refused to marry him, no matter how much he threatened her. He had her portrait painted, fully expecting she would relent in time. But she never did. He was infuriated, or so I have heard. How could this Arusian woman refuse him, the king of Doom? He waited until after I was born and gave her one last chance. Then he choked her to death." Allura's eyes widened and became wetter by the moment.

Lotor was advancing on her now as she began to back away. "Do you know how many times I've dreamed of those hands wrapping around your neck, the danger reaching you? That was my worry, and I spent many nights awaking in fear of your safety." Those dreams of Zarkon wrapping his scaly hands around her smooth throat as she cried out helplessly... they had troubled him greatly. "But now that I have you no one will hurt you."

"Except you!" Allura cried out, turning to run when he came too close. He caught her by the waist and spoke into her hair from behind as she began to shudder. "You think I would hurt you? How many times do I have to tell you of my feelings?"

Allura closed her eyes as his hot breath traveled through her hair and pierced the back of her neck. "I could never trust you."

"Perhaps not..."

Lotor pushed her onto the bed. "Remember our bargain," he murmured when she began to struggle. He reached for her nightdress and her body began to shake violently. "I will keep my word."

"You won't get me," she said strongly.

Lotor chuckled at this. "My dear, I already have you. What more proof do you need?" He pressed down harder onto her and she cried out in fear. "No more chaperons to protect you."

Slowly, Lotor parted the robe that covered her nightdress and pulled it off of her body.

Allura squeezed her eyes shut as he caressed the silk that clad her body. She recoiled at his touch. Lotor was disappointed that the garments were so simple and didn't reveal much. But he supposed that an unwed girl didn't simply wear a sexy negligee to bed each night, when no one was going to touch her. Slowly, he undid each button as her chest heaved up and down with petrified breaths. Several tears came from her eyes despite being shut as he pulled the material back and began to caress and fondle her breasts. She gasped as he started to pull the whole dress off. "Lotor…please…"

"I made you a deal, didn't I?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

She nodded slowly and he continued to run his hands up and down her soft skin.

"Then you will keep your side of the bargain- or I'll change my mind." Her blood ran cold as his eyes bore into her. She relaxed and lay still as he slipped off the rest of her nightdress.

"That's a good girl," he praised delectably, his lips pursed perversely. Her eyes trailed to the side toward the window, a trail of tears running down her cheeks. "Do you think they're going to come rescue you?" he asked cruelly, sadistically feigning concern. "Don't count on it."

-

The other craft seemed so slow in comparison to the lions. It had been over a day since the abduction and they had taken turns piloting and napping due to not getting any sleep the night before. Keith thought he could never fall asleep with all these fears racing through his mind, but surprisingly, exhaustion yielded almost instantly to sleep, allowing all three of them to rest up during the journey. But they were quite behind in their pursuit; the airship they flew was not designed for fighting and was far slower than any military aircraft. Lotor had almost certainly been back on Doom for several hours, at least.

"This is suicide," Hunk complained as they flew through the air. "We're going to Doom and we don't even have Voltron. We'll get shot out of the sky once we're even near the vicinity of the place." He shook his head pessimistically.

Keith was tense as he flew the craft. "We'll find a way."

"Listen, Keith," Lance said sharply. "If Lotor had the power to dismantle the lions, he sure as hell can detect us."

Keith grunted in response. "That's not going to stop me." His eyes were focused ahead of him, beads of sweat on his forehead.

Lance looked at Keith with a sigh. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Keith snapped.

Lance shook his head. "Hunk, take over. Let us know when we're nearing Doom."

"No, I'll keep piloting," Keith said in annoyance, not budging.

"Keith-"Lance had never seen him this way before.

"I'm the Commander!" Keith shouted. "I get to say who will and will not fly!"

"That does it. We're going to have a talk right now, Keith." Lance nodded to Hunk, who physically picked Keith up from the pilot's chair and shoved him to Lance, quickly taking his place.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Keith roared in fury, trying to swing at Hunk.

"Look at you, Keith!" Lance shouted. "You're not yourself! You would never try to hit Hunk before this happened. Or any of us."

Finally, Keith's heavy breathing relaxed and the redness disappeared from his face. He slumped into Lance, who took him into the back room, the cargo portion of the airship. Sitting him down, Lance said, "All right, Keith. You need to relax."

"How can I relax? Lotor's got Allura. He's had her for almost two nights." Keith put his head between his legs for a moment to try and calm down. "I've failed her."

"Shut up, Keith. I don't want to hear that kind of talk. What the hell do you mean, you've failed her?" Lance tensed. "Have we reached her yet and figured that out? No. So stop your whining! You want to know how you would really be failing Allura? By not going to Doom right now. By just letting Lotor have her for the rest of her life and leaving her to him. No matter what he's done to her, she will ALWAYS be our princess. You got that? Even if he's forced himself on her, we're not going to think of her as any less. It will never be a 'lost cause'! Her value to us is never going to go down. So I don't want to hear the mentality that if she's taken we're just going to leave her there."

Keith looked at Lance in shock, the realization setting in. "I- I never would just leave her there, Lance," he said softly.

"Good." Lance settled down next to him, sitting on some crates. "Buddy, I know it will hurt, for both her and you –and all the rest of us- if he's done anything like that. But we can't let it stop us from rescuing her."

Keith looked up gratefully, his voice quiet, "Thanks, Lance." He looked down a moment. "You love her, don't you?"

Lance looked away. "I've been trying to tell myself it's just her pretty face that's got me confused. Or my sense of loyalty." He smiled at the Commander. "But don't worry, Keith. You guys were meant for each other."

"Lance…" Keith's face was red.

"No, I mean it. When you're there, she doesn't even look at me." Casually, he crossed his arms behind his head and said, "I'll find my girl someday. But in the meantime, we're going to rescue yours."

Keith couldn't stop himself from giving Lance a hug. "Thanks buddy."

"Hey, hands off," Lance chuckled. "Of course, she's never kissed you, has she?" he beamed, still lording the peck he had received on the cheek over Keith teasingly.

At last, Keith smiled and shook his head. Lance felt great relief at seeing Keith's normal demeanor make its return.

"I feel like a fool," Keith said now. "Allura is still alive. We know Lotor won't kill her. But Romelle…God, Lance, I feel like such a bastard. Sven must be dying. I know I would be, if anything like that ever happened to Allura."

"Well, we're not going to let it happen are we?" Lance smiled encouragingly. "And we're going to avenge Romelle, you'll see. Lotor won't get away with any of this."

Keith nodded.

"All right," Lance cheered, popping open a bottle of champagne from one of the crates. "Let's make a toast to it."

"Uh…Lance is now really the time?"

"It will take a while before we get there. Just one little glass." Lance poured some into two glasses. "A toast to rescuing Allura and kicking the shit out of that bastard prince." And they drank to it, smiling at the thought.

"You know what the worst part is though, Lance?" Keith murmured, his cheer gone again. "I never even told her how I feel."

"She knows, Keith."

"But what have I ever done?"

"You've rescued her when she needed it most. You're the one she counts on most."

Keith thought back to the only times he had ever given away any hints to her. The time he'd helped her scale the castle and they'd both blushed (especially her. God, he loved it when she blushed. It made him want to melt, especially that particular time, as it made him truly start to believe she returned his feelings. He couldn't be sure, but that didn't mean that he didn't keep a small grain of hope hidden away). Or the time he had taken both her hands in his and promised to be there for her. And lastly, the time he had tried so hard to get her a bouquet of flowers. She'd loved them and he felt his heart swell with things he had never felt before as she looked upon him bashfully.

"I want to be able to tell her these things after this. No more beating around the bush, no more wasting time. If it's not already too late."

The night seemed to press on and again Keith found himself resting again. When he closed his eyes, he could see Allura at a distance, her back turned to him. When he called her name, she looked over her shoulder at him, almost desperately. He ran, sweat enveloping his forehead and hair as he pushed every cell in his body to run faster than he ever thought possible. His arms were outstretched, trying to get to her. But the instant he was about to touch her, Keith awoke. He looked out the windows of the ship, trying to squint into the distance. She was out there somewhere.

-

Allura pulled the coverlet of the bed over herself in a daze when Lotor stood up. No one had ever seen her naked before. And though he'd done nothing other than gaze and fondle her, she felt as violated as though he had forced himself upon her. He'd made her drink wine minutes earlier and now she felt flushed and dizzy, unable to really control herself. Even now as she tugged, the blanket didn't seem to want to cover her entirely and she felt too out of focus to correct it. _Don't let me faint_, she prayed. _Not like Romelle._

Lotor looked out the window now, a smirk upon his face. "You don't realize how happy you make me, my princess. To have finally had a taste of what is to come."

The section of wall behind the bed and the ceiling above were starting to grow fuzzy.

He turned toward her, and even with her murky sight she could not be oblivious to the huge bulge of his manhood coming through his clothing. "Do you see it?" he taunted her. "You do. You know what this is." She rolled her head back, desperately trying to keep her eyes open. "Or are you too innocent to know?" Smirking, he stepped forward, towards the bed and she whimpered groggily. _Will that thing even fit?_ She'd never thought much of this. She'd secretly hoped Keith would be the one to gently guide her. But Lotor was all about power. He couldn't be gentle if he tried- and he wouldn't try.

Lotor removed his shirt, throwing it over his head and tossing it aside.

"Allura, don't recoil from me. I want only to give you pleasure."

She tried to speak, but no sound came out. Though she'd never drunk much wine before, she knew this was not the normal affect after having so little. He must have drugged her. _I'm completely vulnerable_, she thought helplessly. _If I faint, he can do whatever he wants. But I know there's nothing I can do about it. _

_No…_She felt his weight fall upon her. She wanted Keith, his soft lips, his patient moves. Not Lotor. _No!_

Lotor's face was darkened by the sight of her aversion. Hundreds of women had fallen to their knees for him. Only occasionally did they resist and it was when he was bored and went after the serving girls. They, too, soon gave in. He thought of punishing her by making her wear the attire of the harem girls. But he figured he was doing enough damage by having her naked here.

"No…no, Lotor," she whispered, her voice leaving her. She had to pry it from her throat to even speak. "Don't touch me."

She knew how weak she must sound. Those bound wrists feebly reached his chest. Deftly, she tried to pull them back and hit him, but he was easily able to see what she was doing and took both of them in one hand. "Don't bother fighting me, Allura," he said smugly.

"…y-ou promised…"

He bestowed a chilling smile down on her. "I did. But now I am not so sure."

Allura felt herself being overtaken by sobbing and Lotor started to caress her face. "Now that I am Emperor, I have planned our wedding. All is set, my Queen. Now that my father is no longer in the way."

"Your father?" her voice was scarcely more than a breath.

"Yes," Lotor said with an aloof sigh. "I killed him."


	4. Chapter 4

The Dark Emperor Ascends- Chapter Four

I do not own Voltron, etc.

---

Allura wondered why she was so surprised. Lotor had tried to kill Zarkon before,being impatient for the tantalizing position he would have as King. No longer would he be subservient to anyone again. Maybe her surprise centered around the story, because what they had heard seemed so...convincing. It wasn't just a short, unreliable account; for _months_ on end, it had been the talk of many planets regarding the assassination, the assassin's excruciating torture, and the painstaking details of Doom's attack on the offending planet. Hundreds of accounts on the subsequent fighting were spoken of, the gruesome assaults and bloodshed. All of it had happened, but it was done under Lotor's direction, the classic inside job that had been achieved (quite secretly) by way of bribery, weeks of meticulous plotting, and the complete obliviousness of all not involved outside of Doom. Even the assassin had not realized he was stepping into a trap. Lotor relished relaying this to Allura, even if she was too groggy to really contemplate the complexity of the scheme. All she could murmur was, "You killed your own father?"

"Of course. He was always in my way, telling me to let you be, disrupting my plans. But no longer. Now it is I, dear princess, who rule this land." He may not have been the one to commit the murder, but he was still involved and- as Allura noticed- quite proud of his achievements.

Allura, even in the midst of her own dizziness and mingling fear, found herself burning with anger. How many times had she wished that her own father was still alive and her mother, too? She had seen them only in disturbing visions afterward, as she was just an infant when they were murdered by Doom's invasion.

Not only this, but besides his own ascension, Lotor had used this intricate plan to make Doom seem too distracted. To outsmart his main rivals and Zarkon, Lotor had undertaken a diabolical setup and unnecessary bloodshed. Allura knew little about this other planet, but knew the accounts of slaughtered and victimized civilians was the unfortunate truth. She studied Lotor for a moment, thinking over his relationship with Zarkon.

"And your mother?" she questioned slowly. "What do you think of her?"

"I feel nothing," Lotor said coldly, indifference in his eyes. "I have no memory of her."

"I don't believe that," she responded weakly, shutting her eyes as she fought to keep conscious.

"What do you mean?" Lotor's gaze was sharp.

"Nobody wouldn't feel angry…at their father…for that."

His face softened. He should have known that Allura would have been perceptive enough to know his secret. All those nightmares of being unable to save her after his mother's demise, being unable to save the both of them. But those dreams no longer plagued him; he was the Emperor and had the express power of Doom at his whim. "You, too, must be happy about his demise. For he is also the one who took your parents from you." His voice sounded like it was at the end of a tunnel, growing farther and farther away from her. And yet, the words still hurt. She could see her mother and father quite clearly in mind and couldn't determine if the sting of the words was caused by Lotor's ability to see through her, or at the memory of her parents.

"I did it for you. To avenge what he has done to you." Lotor looked down at Allura now, after several moments of silence. She seemed to be asleep, the drugs finally taking effect. But when he touched her, she stiffened and a breathy voice ushered from her lips.

"...lies..." Her thoughts were hazy at this point. _He only did it for himself..._

_"_You speak too boldly, princess." Lotor's glare, those cruel golden slits, seemed to penetrate into her.

"…" He watched as she made an inaudible reply and then lay still. At last, she was asleep. He had drugged her both to ensure her own rest as she'd probably had little to none since arriving on Doom, and partly to be able to gaze upon her, caress her without any resistance. He couldn't stop himself from staring at her. Again, he removed the blanket to look at her, amazed by the sight. Her cheeks seemed red. "So innocent is she that she blushes even in her sleep!" Lotor mused. He bent down to kiss her again and savored the moment. Finally, after so long of trying he had Allura in his grasp. No Voltron Force to foil his plans, the throne at hand, and his object of desire before him. At last he had his Queen. He felt his body react to the young girl beneath him. What he wanted lay right below him, in the perfect place. He put a hand to his remaining clothing, the pleasure becoming torment each moment he made no move to act upon it. He ran a hand down one smooth thigh. Reluctantly, he again covered her with the blanket. He stared at his hands for a moment. _To think I am sparing her…this woman has bewitched me entirely._ He kissed her again, delighting in those soft lips. Now that he had time to muse, he studied her carefully. What was it about her that had him so besotted? He'd seen beautiful women before (though few compared) and yet, somehow, she began to creep into every thought and desire. Whenever Arus came up, he thought of the beautiful princess, clad in her signature pink gown and waving to her people. It wasn't just her beauty that infatuated him. It was that spirit, the persona. He wasn't beyond attacking rebellious women...but something about her made him hesitate to attack her. Lotor lay on his side and continued to watch her, smiling as he thought of Keith and all the others. Their reactions had been absolutely priceless in response to his surprise attack. Keith had seemed infuriated and Lotor gloated to himself now, knowing that this lowly Commander had an eye on his princess. Too bad for him. Lotor chuckled under his breath. _Just wait until they see what else I have in store for them!_

_-  
_

**_Why do you lose faith so suddenly, my child?_**

_ What's going on? _ Allura was surrounded by swirls of pitch black darkness and strange purple hues, as though he had been hurled into the vastness of space. Faint sparkles glimmered in the distance. She looked all around, trying to understand what was happening to her. That voice seemed to resonate throughtout her head. It was so deep, that of a strong man.

**_Why do you lose faith?_**

"Who's there?" She called out, seeing no one. "Why do you ask this of me?" A strange flash of light came to her and she shut her eyes, holding up her wrists in defense. When the glare faded, she opened her eyes again.

It was in that instant that King Alfor stood before her.

"Father…" Allura reached a hand out, trembling as she did so. She wanted so desperately to be able to touch him. Each and every time before this, he had been intangible. She was startled to feel solid warmth in response to her strained reach; his hand closed over his. Immediately, she felt tears come to her eyes, a mixture of both joy and renewed sorrow. She looked down somberly and said, "Oh, no…I must be dead, if I can touch you like this."

_**N****o, Allura, you are very much alive. It is the deception of the prince of Doom that has sent you into this dream.**_ His eyes were tender, but his expression was grim. **_He will try to fool you with his cunning tricks._**

"What should I do?" She clutched her necklace in apprehension. "There is no way I can escape the palace of Doom."

**_Ah, but there are other ways to get around the Prince. I commend you greatly for your bravery and rebellion. _**She began to weep when he put his arms around her. It was the parental embrace she had always wanted, and never thought she would have. Soothingly, he stroked her hair.**_ However, there is one thing that troubles me greatly about your thoughts, Allura._**

She looked at him expectantly, troubled by the thought of his disappointment.

**_You seem to hold little value in your companions. Why do you think they could not help you?_**

"I-" Allura was flustered and unsure of what to say.

**_Of course, Lotor continues to be a challenge and as yet the biggest challenge your force has ever faced. But why, my child, why can lose faith so suddenly after all they have done?_**

And just as soon as he was there, he was gone. Allura put her hand to her cheek, trying to maintain the feel of warmth that had been there on her hand just moments ago. How could she have forgotten? She collapsed onto her back, looking up at the strange lights. They seemed like stars, but she could not be so sure.

Many years ago, Zarkon's forces had torn Arus apart. Death, destruction…the people, those who had survived or were not taken as slaves, were traumatized. Her mother and father, all living relatives, had perished. She, too, would have died had Coran not saved her. She remembered him giving an account of the rescue to her. "I promised your father I would make sure you survived," he said softly. "And that no harm would come to you." Arus had been darkened by all the force upon it; things seemed dead, even as survivors still remained local, close to the palace. It all had seemed hopeless. Allura grew up feeling whimsical and mostly lonely, the heavy weight of duty upon her shoulders. Nanny and Coran, of course, were loving in their own manner. But she'd had no one to really confide in but the space mice. It saddened her immensely. She rarely got to leave the palace, but when she did, she was struck by how somber the people seemed. They seemed to smile slightly, for her sake, and she once heard an Arusian say, "She is the only reason to hope." Coran told Allura many times that Arus's situation was dire. Doom had attacked multiple times over the years. Allura would never forget one such attack that had happened when she was sixteen. Depressed by her loneliness, she had escaped from the palace one day. She'd worn a long brown cloak and hood over her dress to conceal herself and went, unchaperoned, into the hills, home to the commoners of Arus where they hid themselves away after all the prior violence. The only ones who seemed even remotely happy were the children. She met a girl around her own age and they spoke for some time, the latter never realizing that she spoke to the princess herself. All day they had spoken, laughed all about normal, everyday things. They'd laid on a hill and looked up at the stars, awestruck. For the first time in her life, the princess felt like an average girl. And at last, Allura had a real friend. Until Doom had sent another swarm of invaders. Allura had scarcely been able to make it back to the palace again before great damage had been done. When the wreckage was looked over, Allura learned that her new friend had been carted away with several other girls. And as it was so often stated, humans did not last long on Doom. Allura had always berated herself for not being able to rescue her that, she seriously pondered over how to protect her people, but there seemed to be little that could be done. Allura had wept many long nights, terrified that Arus was doomed.

But one day…five strange men had arrived, three years after her out-of-castle journey.

"I pray that these will be the ones to save Arus," Coran murmured.

When Allura came to meet these men, she was not so sure of what to expect. They had to be strong to have gotten through their ordeals beforehand, but could they really face off against Planet Doom? Respectfully, they stood before her, heard her story. The leading man's face had been almost expressionless, but for the fire burning in his eyes, especially after the men had agreed with Coran to use the legendary Voltron to protect Arus. Without another word, Keith dropped to one knee and grabbed her hand. She felt a strange sensation of hope flooding through her veins as they kept eye contact. He kissed her ring, swearing loyalty. And all followed suite, one after the other. Deep down, she just knew that this was the miracle she had been hoping for. Those guardians had taken a phantom planet and turned it into a thriving world of beauty and hope. Arus hadn't looked better since before the raids occurred. The people had reason to believe again. They found themselves no longer wishing to be elsewhere, but instead, proud to be Arusians. Each time Allura went out and waved to them, she felt not only relieved, but prideful of the men. She could never thank them enough for restoring Arus; those brave men had taken it upon themselves to revive Arus from its status as a listless land of rubble to once again become a kingdom of glory and vigor.

She believed so much in the force- but with so much at stake, it was hard not to worry. Arus had been doing better than ever before and now it teetered in a precarious position. Where Lotor had garnered all this immense power was hard to say, but she knew that he was more formidable than ever before.

-

"We're nearing Doom," Hunk called to his companions as the wretched planet came more into view, no longer a tiny dot in the distance.

"Finally." Keith's impatience had been biting at him terribly. "We should stay as far from the palace as we can and find a safe place to land."

"We don't know much about Doom," Lance reminded him. "What if there is no safe place to land?"

"There must be some place that's in the middle of nowhere. If we can land there, then we can find a way to infiltrate the Palace."

_Thank goodness he's back to normal._ "Sounds good, Commander."

"If only the princess had her communicator," Hunk mused. "Then we could know if she's ok."

"Why was she on the roof, anyway?" Lance scratched his head as Keith looked up. He hadn't even thought of that before. Everything had been too confusing and hectic for them to even wonder why Romelle and Allura had even been out of bed in the first place. Allura had been in her nightdress. Had the two women heard something while they were sleeping and gone to investigate? It sounded unlikely; Allura would have alerted them if she'd heard anything. Besides, the meeting room was much closer to the roof entrance than Allura's bedroom. Most likely, they had gone up for fresh air or to gaze at the stars. What happened in between that and the end result was only imaginable. As Hunk said, she didn't have her communicator since she'd been in her night clothes, so there was no way to contact the princess to check on her condition or question her.

As Hunk pulled down to land, Keith recalled his talk with Allura before she was abducted. "Nobody is fearless, Allura." She had seemed grateful, yet skeptical. Maybe it was because he never liked to show his fear. But even now, as they started to land, Keith felt his stomach jolt in apprehension. They were in the middle of the hellish planet with only laser pistols and no Voltron. They even still wore their civilian clothes, knowing how recognizable their uniforms were. Espionage seemed the only way they would be able to save the princess.

As soon as the craft touched the ground, all of them felt sensations of fear travel through them. Planet Doom seemed desolate, yet at the same time a quite valuable planet. Where they landed, there was little to see -especially in the middle of the night- but in the distance the palace was waiting. It seemed a demon in its own right, with flashing lights amongst ominous darkness.

"All right, team." Keith led Hunk and Lance outside. "Let's go."

They hurried across the landscape, drawing their lasers as they neared the walls of the palace.

"How are we supposed to get in there?" Hunk didn't look very optimistic.

"I'm not so sure…" Keith eyed the surroundings carefully. Outside the wall, around the corner of the hill they hid behind, several guards stood patrolling. There had to be dozens more- at least- inside. "We can't go in disguised because they'll recognize us on sight. Unless we can knock out those guards over there." Four guards stood on another side of the wall, at some distance from the others. And they carried swords, not guns. "Let's go," Keith whispered. Immediately, they surrounded their opponents and knocked them senseless with their pistols before any additional noise could be made and donned the uniforms of the guards over their clothes, helmets and all.

"Mine's too tight!" Hunk bellowed.

"Just be patient, Hunk," Lance said. "Hopefully you won't have to stay in that for long." He and Keith hid the unconscious guards and stood staring up at the palace, which towered over them menacingly .

"This is probably the most dangerous mission we've ever gone on," Keith acknowledged. "But the princess is in there somewhere." That alone was reason enough for them to go. Taking a deep breath, Keith led his companions to the entrance of the Palace of Doom.


	5. Chapter 5

The Dark Emperor Ascends- Chapter Five

I apologize for the hiatus, summer has been pretty hectic. I received an email recently from the site as an alert and was reminded of just how long it had been since the last chapter had been put up- nearly a month! Here is the next chapter and I will hasten to finish the rest as well.

---

The palace of Doom was more daunting than anyone could have imagined. The instant Keith stepped inside, he immediately thought, _Allura must be terrified out of her mind._ Not only was the place cold and unfriendly, but the guards (especially those without helmets) seemed to be monsters out of the vilest nightmares. Their scales, their slithering speech and heartless eyes- all even started to burden his own courage, despite his disguise. As the trio made their way through the corridors, they remained high on their guard. The tension began to build, increasing every moment to the point where it seemed the massive bubble would burst. While near the dungeon, they could hear screams echoing from below, always following the sound of a lashing. And when the sound of no lash or blow could be heard- well, that just made the cries eerier. The princess' face came to mind for the Commander, spurring his desire to find her. But the castle was too large, far too spread out to simply burst into a room and find her. Not only were there numerous floors, but each floor was full of corridor after corridor, passage after passage. It was going to take a long while to find her. He figured that Lotor was keeping her locked in somewhere, narrowing down where she could be. The first floor didn't seem a place where she would be. They made their way up a staircase to the next floor, which seemed much more lavish. Portraits lined the wall, a sort of museum allowing them to explore the Doom royals' ancestry. This seemed a place where the Emperor may be keeping his princess. When the coast was clear, they stopped to convene in a place that seemed safe, if such a thing was possible here.

"My God, Keith." Lance's breath was heavy. "It's a miracle we haven't been caught yet. I can't believe they're buying it."

It was quite lucky that no one suspected them; lazy guards who roamed while on duty simply did not exist on Doom. They stood with their backs up straight, trying to appear strong and normal.

"Where do we go from here?" Hunk looked at Keith.

"I get the feeling she's somewhere on this floor."

They looked around each hall, until the sound of music began to waft through the air. A strange beat, coming from strange instruments. It was a sound none of them had ever heard before. In other circumstances, it would have been beautiful, but here it seemed too haunting, almost as though the melody was designed to be fright-inducing.

Keith led them farther and stopped in his tracks when they encountered the throne room, where the music had been coming from. "Holy…"

Even Lance felt pale under his helmet as they saw Lotor sitting upon his throne, smiling lazily as he watched the harem girls dance across the room in their skimpy attire. Their arms were bare, waving in the air as the women danced, gracefully moving across the room, legs pointed and revealed almost entirely but for the sparse silky material that attached at the waist. A silver brassiere was the only other item of clothing the dancers wore, and a strange harp melody floated across the room as they moved their bodies sensually, doing their best to achieve the pleasure of their master. The way they swung their hips, bent down and tossed their heads created a sexual charge of tension that engulfed the room. Keith's thoughts began to wander, thinking of how these girls must surely be victims of Lotor's perverse desires- and that Allura was possibly already suffering under this lust as well.

"Where's the princess?" Hunk whispered.

Keith eyed every harem girl, not thinking it below Lotor to force Allura to be part of this ritual. He was quite thankful when he confirmed she was not among them, but furious as the Emperor remained right before his eyes. _Damn that bastard_…Keith felt rage building up in his chest as Lotor grinned perversely, and selected which girls he wanted to entertain him for the night. Keith hoped he would say something aloud about his plans, but of course that didn't pan out. Not even one boast about Allura.

"She must be locked in a room somewhere," Lance murmured.

Only Allura's safety was able to draw Keith away from attacking Lotor.

Casually, they marched down the hall, imitating the steps of the real guards. At last, they came upon a wing that was blocked off, with three guards standing at the entrance.

"What are you doing here?" one of the Doomites called to the trio.

Keith quietly cleared his throat and said firmly, "Lotor has sent us to fetch the princess and to give her his express commands."

"Why has he sent three of you to do such an easy task?"

"He believes the princess may try to escape, and wanted all of us to come and halt any resistance. He believes she will try to run."

The Doomite laughed hoarsely. "Like she did earlier, eh? That girl is a feisty little thing. Skin's soft, too. I hoped she would try again just to give us an excuse to touch her."

Keith managed to bottle up his rage and laugh along with the others, Lance and Hunk following suite. At last, when the doors shut behind them, they saw there was little in the wing at all.

"There's no one here," Hunk whispered.

"This must be Lotor's private wing," Keith mused. "To see no one here at all."

Keith looked all around, up and down the corridor. He saw several portraits, glaring when he spotted the portrait of what appeared to a human woman. As Lotor was half-human, it was obvious that Allura's case was not the first time a human woman was expected to bear an heir for Doom.

Despite Lance's speech earlier , Keith could not help feeling desperate and hoping it was not too late.

They searched every room until, at last, they spotted a crumpled figure laying in a bed.

"Allura!" Keith couldn't stop himself from rushing forward and taking her in his arms. "Allura, please wake up!" He was almost reduced to tears to see that she was naked, covered only by a small blanket. He wrapped it more tightly around her. _That bastard, that bastard!_

"Shh! Keith someone will hear!" Lance looked around cautiously. "Let's take the princess and get out of here!"

"Mmmm.." Allura opened her eyes . She seemed weak and exhausted, not herself at all.

"It's us, Allura," Keith said now, removing his helmet. "We've come to save you."

Allura's eyes welled up in tears. "Oh, Keith!" She flung her arms around him. "I'm so glad…it's been horrible here!"

Keith closed his eyes and stroked her hair. "Has Lotor hurt you?"

She looked down. "He touched me...all over my body." The tears poured freely down her cheeks. "I can still feel his hand-!" she burst into fresh sobs, unable to finish her sentence.

"Come on, Allura." Keith nudged her gently, trying to get her to stand. "We're going to get you back to Arus."

A pained look came over her face. "No…he'll just come back. He'll be able to come back and get me again."

"We'll make sure he doesn't," Lance promised her.

She shook her head. "I'm so worried." She held her head in her hands and looked downward.

"Don't worry, Allura," Keith said firmly. "We won't let him hurt you."

She looked up, startling them as her eyes flashed. "But it's not myself I am fearful for…it's for how greatly you will suffer when Lotor tortures you for trying to steal his bride!" She began to laugh now, that same innocent giggle as though she had just gone picking flowers. The trio gaped at her for a moment as Keith stood back and took her by the shoulders. "Oh, God…Allura what have they done to you?"

She smiled coyly. "Oh nothing, Keith. Not yet, anyhow." She stood boldly and her skin began to change color until at last Haggar, not Allura, stood before them in that brown robe. "Ha,ha,ha,ha! Fools!"

"Haggar!"_ Shit_, Keith thought to himself as he drew his laser._ I forgot about her!_ "Where's Allura?"

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know, Commander?" She cackled as several Doomites entered the room and held their guns on the force. "I suggest you drop your weapons."

_Shit!_ Keith looked at Lance and Hunk, and they all let theirs pistols fall to the floor.

"You thought we didn't know you were coming?" she taunted them. "Fools!"

-

Allura looked into the mirror dismally, looking at the strange dress and wedding train. It was her only option besides the nightdress. She wished Lotor would at least tell her when he planned the wedding, so she could know rather than be petrified in dread with anything ready to happen around the corner. Earlier that day, he had ordered that she be sent to another wing of the palace. Her thoughts broke when she saw purple standing in the mirror behind her.

"So, princess, I see you have finally dressed. At last, you can go see what the palace of Doom is like."

"Do you come only to torment me, Haggar?" Allura was disgusted.

"I come to tell you of something you should very much like to see…come hither, princess and you shall see." Somehow, Allura could not stop herself from following the witch. She had initially feared a spell would be placed upon her, but now she felt enticed to follow. At last, Allura was allowed out of the private wing of the castle and allowed to see the rest of the place. She hadn't exactly wanted to, but she took small comfort in having her prison space expanded. Haggar left Allura's side as soon as they came to a large red door. The door opened upwards, and slowly the princess entered a large blue room. It was the throne room of the Emperor. Somehow, she could not stop herself from walking up to Lotor. She didn't realize that she was walking in the same footsteps as he had upon his return to Doom, when he had knelt before his father- the only time he had ever shown subservience to another being. The harem stood in the corner, ready to please their master at any time. Before she knew what was happening, she was kneeling before him. Allura had never knelt before anyone. And to be doing so to her planet's key enemy was traitorous. But Allura's body had moved on its own. In frustration, she stood and hoped this would not happen again.

Lotor took her hand in his. "My dear, it is a pleasure to see you exploring your new home." He put an arm around her shoulders. "Did you feel the force that came over your body? It is the power of Haggar." He snickered triumphantly. "As I once knelt before my father, you now kneel before me."

Allura was angry at this trick, angry that someone could actually force her to show outward appearances of loyalty against her will. But instead of responding, she was quiet.

"Would you like to sit upon your throne?"

She shook her head and remained where she was.

Lotor smiled. "Ah, as I expected. But I will warn you, princess- if you continue to resist me, you will be dearly sorry." She raised her chin in defiance. "You do not believe me? But I am right and in more ways than one. I can yoke Haggar's skills, Allura, and make you do that even which you revile. Or…" He laced their fingers together and began to lead her down into the corridor. "Or I can break you."

Allura realized they were heading into the dungeons of Doom. _Oh, God…did he mean to torture her? Or have her throne into a cell and mistreated? _She looked at him fretfully, trying to think of what to do. He took her by the shoulders and whispered, "I'll give you five minutes to see what this dungeon is like. I'm sure you'll be begging me to let you out by then." And he left, leaving her locked in. Allura recoiled from the objects of torture and the grins on each of the guard's faces as they leered at her. Slowly- and shaking as she did so- she wandered throughout the dungeon and stared at the poor souls locked inside. Her heart skipped a beat as she came upon a cell in the corner.

"Princess…"

Allura flung herself next to the cell and whispered, "My God...how long have you all been here?"

"A few hours now," Lance admitted to her, as they all sat in the back corner.

"Oh, no…have they hurt you?"

"No, Allura," Keith assured her. "They haven't done anything."

"What are we going to do?" Allura put a hand over her face.

"Don't worry," Keith smiled grimly. "We'll come up with something." Of course, he wasn't so sure that was true, but there was no need for her to worry. "It's you we've been worried about."

"He hasn't hurt me," she murmured, not telling them about his violent groping. "But the wedding will be soon and I don't know how I'm going to get out of it."

"Where's Pidge?" she asked suddenly, catching them off guard.

The three men looked at one another for a moment until Lance told her, "He decided to stay behind."

"But what about Voltron?" She looked genuinely confused. Voltron had been the hope for all her time in captivity. With Sven there, he could take her place. Obviously, Lotor had not told her of his ploys.

Keith shook his head, seeing that he was about to disappoint her greatly. "I'm sorry. Lotor- did something to Voltron." Her eyes went wide. "The lions are malfunctioned. They won't move. We had to take another craft to get here, but were caught when Haggar disguised herself as you. We shouldn't have fallen for it." Haggar had done this kind of thing before, once posing as Romelle. "But they have been expecting us all along. We were just so desperate to get here and save you that we really didn't think too much ahead." He felt guilty again, feeling that he had failed his princess. "Has Lotor said anything to you, anything at all to suggest how he has done any of this?"

She shook her head. "Only Haggar's magic. But he said nothing of doing anything to Voltron." She looked away.

"Coran is doing his best to look after things on Arus." Hunk's words were meant to cheer the princess' spirits, but were laughable; what good could Coran do if all of their weaponry was unusable?

"We do have some hope," Lance said now. "Pidge is going to come with Sven as soon as...well, as soon as Sven..." his voice broke and already Allura's eyes were filling with tears.

"How could I have been so stupid?" She whispered, wiping her eyes. "Of course Sven wouldn't want to come. Not after..." She blinked and the cascade of sorrow began to fall down her cheeks. "Was there any trace-" her voice trailed off and a sob tore through her throat. Asking if they'd found her cousin's body was more painful than she'd thought it would be, though she'd been trying to work up the courage to ask.

Keith shook his head.

She turned to look at the other cells in the prison, the poor souls who lay shackled, with lash marks imprinted in blood upon their backs and bruises upon their faces.

"Even if they come, I cannot say they will be able to get you out of here. They may end up in here as well."

Keith was unsure of what to say. He could lie and say that no matter what he would save her. He could be brutally honest and say that getting out of prison was nearly impossible. He decided to say what he could that was true.

Keith came to the front of the cell and took her hand through the bars. He smiled tenderly. "Princess, believe me when I say that we're going to work our hardest get you out of here." His eyes burned. "Even if we must die in doing so."

She wiped her eyes. "I pray it will not come to that." She grasped his hand and kissed it. Keith felt his merriment soured by the situation at hand but was nevertheless glad to see her in cheerier spirits. She seemed to glow now, just by the sight of them. They may have been captured, but if she believed in them, it renewed hopes. They were here and they had a possible plan. This was the very group of men who had restored Arus after its many years of being a land of rubble and destruction. That had raised hopeless terrain to its original station of glorious beauty. There _had_ to be a reason for some hope.

Allura heard the door of the dungeon open and stood quickly, managing a smile-however rueful it was- for her companions. "I will see if there is anything I can do." Slowly, she made her way from their sight, until she was gone and the door clanged shut behind her.

Keith stared at the place where she had been for several moments before turning to his companions. "Do you think he means to marry her now?" he asked bluntly.

Lance sighed. "You could never be so sure with Lotor. But that veil makes me wonder." She had looked dressed for a wedding, they all forced themselves to admit. But it was anyone's guess as to what the Emperor's plans were. "What do you think he'll do to us?"

Keith shrugged. "Beat us. Torture us. Laugh in our faces. He will make sure we suffer for all the humiliation we've put him through for losing to us so many times. For the taunts of his father. For the pressure under which he has always been placed-"

"- and for seeing that his princess is in love with the leader of the group he despises most."

Keith stared at Lance for a moment, all the while feeling the threat which hung over them. "We will take this one step at a time." Under his breath his muttered, "Every damn agonizing step at a time."

Lance and Hunk fell asleep eventually, but Keith stayed up, brooding. He was afraid, of course. Torture was sure to be their fate. Lotor would probably lie and tell Allura that if she married him without a struggle, he would spare them. But there was no possibility whatsoever that he would ever let them free, much less leave them unharmed. He knew Lotor's character too well. Far too well.

At last Keith fell asleep, letting his jumbled thoughts subside and slumber carry him away.

A strange fear awoke him in the middle of the endless night, something he could not put into words or rationality. But he could not think of what it could possibly be. Something in the back of his mind, the folds of his heart told him that something **_HORRIBLE_** had occurred. The bluntness of the feeling, the horrid dread made him more anxious than before. He wanted Allura to walk in and see she was fine or for Pidge to be able to communicate with them. The trio's own communicators had been taken from them upon arrest. There was no way for reassurance, even if it could be truthfully given. He resigned himself to waiting.

It was first thing in the morning when the dungeon door opened, noisy enough to awaken them all, every single prisoner encased within. Several Doomites came to the door of the trio's cell and ordered them out.

"The Emperor commands your presence immediately."

Shackled hand and foot, Keith, Lance, and Hunk were led to the dreaded throne and stood strong and tall before their nefarious rival, who had a harem girl in his lap. Upon their entrance, Lotor shooed the girl away and smirked down upon them. "So, you have come to reclaim your treasure at last. You were sorely mistaken in underestimating Doom."

Before another word could be said, an arrival in the doorway interrupted them.

Lotor chuckled. "Come, my dear. Your friends have arrived."

Keith closed his eyes, not even looking at Allura. He waited to hear her speak, to hear her cry, or to make some plea. Instead, there was only silence. Keith finally looked up. Her footsteps echoed throughout the room as she made her way in and stood beside Lotor. Just at the sight of her, Keith turned pale and his heart jolted in bitter recognition: he knew instantly just what this horrible feeling had sensed, for it now stood before his very eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

The Dark Emperor Ascends- Chapter Six

I want to thank everyone for reviewing/ favoriting the story. I really appreciate the feedback. Here is the next chapter; please review! ;) I do apologize ahead of time if there are any errors. It is quite late but I wanted to be sure to get the chapter published before going to bed. I must confess my eyes are trying to slip shut as I am proofreading!

I do not own Voltron, etc. and so forth.

--

I must do something, _Allura was panicking beneath her demure expression as Lotor retrieved her from the dungeon. Even with the hope she held, there was still that utter fear at the knowledge of Lotor's demeanor, the callous deviant he was. Pity was not in his nature. Not at all. And it would be impossible to achieve something never given. Only bargaining could possibly work. And she was starting to gather the courage to do so, while battling loyalty to Arus and her conscience. Lotor was smiling at her when he brought her back to his bedchamber, which was quite large, possibly one of the most luxurious rooms she had ever seen, even as a princess herself. The bed linens were gold, the tapestries silken. She would have been in awe at the splendor had the situation been different.  
_

"_I suppose you were surprised to see your 'guardians' imprisoned." His countenance was cold. "Weren't you?"_

_She said nothing, having nothing to reply that could help and would only allow him to get the better of her if she did speak._

"_You seek to gain their release, or clemency. I know you quite well, my princess, as much as you detest the thought. But it is not that which you will receive tonight."_

"_Please, Lotor." Allura's tone was desperate. "If you would release them, I would marry you without struggle or protest. On my honor."_

_Lotor poured himself a glass of wine and sipped a moment before replying, "Ah, your honor. While I hold it quite dear, I am afraid it is not to be done." He regarded her cruelly, undressing her with his eyes. She hated that look. _

"_And so you will kill them, then?" _

"_Of course I will kill them. Don't you understand? Once they are dead, it will be the time for our new reign." He drained his glass. "And you can do nothing to persuade me otherwise."_

_Allura's face colored in genuine anger. "Damn you, Lotor! I hate you! I despise the sight of you! I wish you had never come to my planet, that I had never set eyes upon you!" She clenched her fists in anger. "Curse you! You bastard! I will die before I let you make me marry you, before you make me bear you a son! I would rather be a slave, the lowliest servant than ever be your Empress!"_

_She had gone too far. The glass shattered in Lotor's hand as he broke it in one fell swoop. It clattered to the floor, jangling like an eerie tinkle of music. After the last piece had bounced and silence endured, Allura realized she had made a grave error.__ She immediately became alarmed; her rage subsided, sifting away as quickly as it had come, with no trace left behind. _

_Lotor's eyes were murderous. She expected him to scream at her, but instead he spoke calmly. Somehow, that was more frightening. Maybe it was the look he held, perhaps the stiffness of his jaw as he spoke the heated words:  
_

"_You shall see what happens as the result of your obstinacy."_

_She began to back away from him. He removed his axe helmet and set it down slowly, turning away from her as his snow-colored hair fell over his shoulders. "You would think twice about running, if you were wise." He looked over his shoulder, his eyes flashing. Allura's knees buckled in fright, and she stumbled in the corner as he began to advance upon her._

"_No…please…" She shook her head vehemently."Lotor, stop!"  
_

_She saw he held something in his hand and the very sight of it caused her to scream. "No!"_

_Lotor leered at her, his shadow passing over her until he was upon her._

_The wolves howled outside in the moonlight, the birds screeched. And deep below ground, trapped between metal doors and steel chains, Keith was awakened with his overpowering sense of dread. _

Now the men could see full well the result of that fateful altercation, evident by the sight of the princess. But it was not as they might have expected before.

Black silk swished around her dainty feet, and the gown she wore made sure to accentuate every last bit of her cleavage, nearly revealing her breasts entirely. Her hair was pulled back in an elegant hairstyle with small braids falling down her back, the gold tresses a sharp contrast to the ebony gown. Unfortunately for the trio, the style put more emphasis upon her face.

Her irises, once a brilliant, sparkling blue, were now blood red. Her lips, which were painted black, were set in a sordid grin. Haggar had transformed Allura into the willing wife his lordship wanted. But she had also become quite complacent and flirtatious as well. Allura wore the face of pure self-satisfaction.

"Welcome to Doom, Voltron Force." Her voice was haughty, cold, and smug. _Changed_. "Have you come to kneel at the feet of our Emperor?"

Slowly, she climbed to her throne, sitting beside Lotor.

Keith searched desperately for signs of falseness, but found none. It was a spell. He looked at Lance and Hunk, who could only stare back in bewilderment.

"No, Allura," Keith said, speaking as though she were herself. "We have come to take you back to Arus."

She laughed coldly. "Arus? Why would I ever want to return to that dull planet when here I can live in more luxury and comfort than ever before?" Her lip curled. "Here I can be with my Emperor, to serve his every need. Day…and _**night**_."

Keith blanched as Lance spoke now, "Princess, don't you see? Don't you see a spell has been placed upon you?"

She yawned. "What care have I even if such a claim was true? I love my state of mind now. Now I can finally please my lord, without the pretense of denial."

"It wasn't pretense!" Hunk shouted. "You've despised Lotor since the day he landed on Arus!"

She sat up, no longer lazy. Her amusement was gone and only pure cruelty remained. "Then I am thankful to have corrected the error. I would never want to go back to being such a fool ever again." She stood from her throne and sat, flauntingly, in the Emperor's lap.

Lotor's triumphant laugh pierced the Voltron Force's ears in a devastating blow. "As you can see, fools, Allura knows full well she is under a spell and has no wish to even return to being herself. She has chosen Doom over Arus, myself over you."

"That's not true!" Keith shouted.

"Oh, but it is, you foolish boy. I'm afraid it's very true."

"It's because of your spell that she's acting this way! She wouldn't if she had her own free will!"

"I hate Voltron." Allura's voice sharper than a sword. "And I detest anyone who would ask me to throw down my crown of Doom!"

"You wouldn't turn your back on Arus, would you Allura?" Lance called to her desperately. "Not after all the work you have done!"

"Arus," Allura began frostily, "is nothing but a mound of pathetic wasteland inhabited by a foolish public. They are weaklings, and would not come out of their shells for nearly twenty years. Arus is nothing, nothing at all in comparison to the greatness of Doom." And if her words had not inflicted enough pain, she continued to be sure they did. "My father and mother were fools, great fools not to ally with the glorious planet Doom. I am now seeking to correct their abhorrent error, by combining my undesirable homeland with our Emperor's vast kingdom. I can only be grateful that he has accepted me, as lowly as I am to him."

"Allura-" Keith protested in horror.

"Lord Lotor will take Arus and make it what it always should have been, a place influenced and controlled by Doom." Her eyes began to glow with great concentration, a brighter red than before. "Only then can my foolish ancestry be corrected after so long an unfortunate reign. Our heirs will forever keep this great unity that should have been long ago."

"Doom never meant to join with Arus!" Hunk cried out in vain. "Their intention was to kill from the outset!"

She shrugged. "I cannot blame them for planning to do that, our planet being so stubborn. Now I can correct the stupidity and make the best match ever possible for Arus."

"Allura," Lance whispered. "What about your people?"

She regarded him crossly. "Those weak insects? I couldn't care less. Lotor is going to put them to work for our new reign. Only then will they ever be of any use."

Hunk and Lance were so stung by Allura's words that they no longer spoke. Keith looked up at her, wounded. Even though it was a spell, the pain was too excruciating, that Allura's mind had been so twisted from her previous feelings.

"Allura…what about Romelle?"

Allura said nothing, regarding him coolly.

"What about Romelle?!" he demanded, shouting at the top of his lungs. "Don't you even care that she sacrificed her life for you?! DON'T YOU?!"

Lance put a hand on his shoulder, trying to get Keith to calm down. The commander's breath was heavy at the force of his words.

Allura stared blankly at him, her beautiful face holding no emotion now. He seemed to be getting through to her. His eyes began to water and he whispered, "Don't you care?" Allura looked down at her lap. "Don't you?"

She raised her eyes, and he felt that a stake had been driven through his heart when she replied woodenly, "Princess Romelle was nothing but a simpleton. She could not enjoy the pleasure of Lord Lotor when he kindly bestowed it upon her."

"Kindly?" Lance hollered in rage. "He raped her!"

Allura held her head high. "Lord Lotor need not force any woman, for any foolish enough to decline his favor is not worth his time."

"Stop this, Allura!" Hunk called out. "You're being deceived!"

"I see no deceit. I know full well of everything. It is my own choice to be here, though I could leave at anytime." She bestowed a smile of false pity. "But you, I am afraid, cannot."

Lotor was greatly savoring this exchange, watching the torment of his bitter enemies. He relished every moment. "Yes, my love," he said in delight. "What shall we do with these trespassers?"

She looked down upon them as though they were insects. "Kill them."

"Ha!" Lotor laughed in delight as the prisoners looked at each other. "What a lovely idea. However, I think there should be one little present given to them before they leave, as they have come this far." He leered down upon them. "They shall attend our wedding tomorrow evening. Won't that be a lovely consolation prize?" He waved his hands to the guards to remove them from the room.

"NO, Allura!" Keith fought against the hold of the guards. "Snap out of it!"

She only gloated.

"YOU are the fool, Allura," he shouted desperately. "Not anyone else you have accused of being so! A fool that you have allowed them to take your mind against your will, even if you seem to like it. You DON'T like it and it is only their doing that makes you think you do!"

Her face turned contemptuous. "How dare you speak to me in such a way? You beg for your death! To speak so detestably, ungrateful that your vile presence be permitted in our grand hall. Wretch!"

Keith shook his head in frustration and was dragged back to the dungeon with Lance and Hunk.

--

"Haggar has clearly outdone herself." Lance looked down in grimness. "If we are ever to break the spell, it's clear it cannot be done through words."

"We aren't sorcerers," Hunk said sourly.

"Of course not. But if there's a way to make a spell, then there's a way to break it, too."

"Who says?" Keith challenged. "How can we know that for sure?"

"Come on, Keith," Lance glared at him. "You're our captain. How can you be so pessimistic?"

"I'm not. I'm being _real_istic." He looked down. "I'm sorry, Lance. It just hurts to see what he's done to her. I never expected this. Never did I expect him to have her bewitched." That dreadful feeling the night before had been the extinguishing of Allura's soul. He fell asleep with that horrible thought on his mind.

_Allura took his hand eagerly, leading him to the vast, lush greenery of the field they had walked to. For what seemed like hours, they spoke, adventuring through the countryside. There was never a dull moment. Each seemed filled with more ardor, enjoyment, and- ultimately- epiphanies than ever before. At last she lay down upon a hill, and he lay beside her._

"_Will you never leave me, Keith?" She murmured, her innocent ocean eyes upon him._

"_Never," he declared, lifting her hand and kissing it. _

_She sighed. "In all the good you have done for Arus, you and the rest of the force, I have to say it is not quite Arus' restoration which has brought me the most happiness." She turned her head away to look at the sky. "But you."_

_Keith shut his eyes. "Allura, you have no idea how long I have wished to hear you say that you felt this way about me."  
_

"_I used to wish the same from you. But I realized you were far too honorable to trespass the boundary between princess and guardian. You never would have said anything. But while Coran and Nanny may be against the thought, I am the princess. And I need a husband, a king. There is no man more honorable, more deserving of the role."_

_Keith opened his eyes. _

"_Have no fear of the problems that stand in our way." Her smile was so beautiful, so loving. "Coran hasn't been able to find many eligible princes for me. Either they were undesirable or didn't desire me, because of Arus' status for the past few years. There is no telling what its future will be and they are not tempted by the match. But I know it will be beautiful, as it is now, even more so with you protecting it."_

_This moment was so perfect, nothing could have ruined it. Keith knelt on one knee above her, leaned down and kissed her. Her lips were so soft, so giving. When he pulled back, she stood up, her back to him as he remained kneeling. She was staring down the hill, at all the land her sight could see. "You have saved my planet. I can never thank you enough."_

"_I don't need your thanks. I would instead prefer your love."_

_She turned. "You have it. Every last drop I can possibly give." She smiled and he took her hand and kissed it. _

"_Rise, my knight." _

_Keith looked down, too happy for words. He began to rise._

"_Kneel before me, you wretched peasant!!" _

_Keith looked up, startled by her sharp, screeching tone. He fell back on both knees and looked at the sight in horror._

_Allura, her soft giggle and closed eyes, vanished. In her place was her new form. Again those red eyes stared back at him triumphantly. "To think I would EVER marry a peasant or love a weakling like you! I have an Emperor to share my life with, not a pathetic runt such as you!"_

_She turned from him and promptly disappeared._

"_Allura, NO!"_

_Suddenly, the field of flowers was gone. Instead, Keith stood in Lotor's own bedroom. The Emperor of Doom sat in his bed, shirtless, legs under the coverlet. He laid back against the headboard. Allura entered the room then and approached his bed._

"_NO!" Keith stepped forward but was struck down; an unbreakable glass barrier was between him and the couple. _

_Allura and Lotor were oblivious to him. Allura's face was twisted into a perverse smile. She reached behind her neck and untied the string that held her floor length silk gown up. It fell around her ankles and she kicked it and her slippers away. She approached the bed in black panties and brassiere. She looked like a seductress, rather than a virgin. She straddled Lotor as Keith screamed. _

"_Allura, stop!"_

_Lotor and Allura shared a deep kiss, engulfing each other in a heat of lust, their bodies trembling. _

"_I want you so badly, princess." Lotor looked up at her, his teeth partially bared at restraining his temptation any longer._

"_Then by all means, take me, my lord."_

"_Allura, don't do it!"_

_Allura unfastened her brassiere, allowing Lotor (and a frantic Keith) to view her bare cleavage. Then she removed her underwear, and sat naked upon the Emperor. Obligingly, he pulled back the covers, revealing his own naked anatomy, fully hard for her. Both of them were so desperate to merge, to be one. Hungrily, he flipped her onto her back and pushed himself inside of her. Keith felt as though his world had exploded. He pounded on the glass. "NOOOO!!" Allura was moaning in pleasure as Lotor thrusted, over and over again. She begged him to go faster, harder. Still joined, she moved to be on top of him, and when he pushed once more, as for she had been aching for, she tossed back her head and roared, feeling the bliss of climax. _

_Keith sank against the glass, burying his head in his knees. "No, no!"_

"_I feel the heir of Doom will soon be born, my lord," she said delightfully after he had finished. "I will do all you ask of me."_

When Keith awoke, he found tears streaming down his cheeks. He hadn't cried in so long, since the time he and the group had thought the princess was dead during one of Lotor's schemes. Now he wept, too upset to stop himself. Lotor had taken his princess, in more ways than one. First her body, for she had been trapped within the palace and now her personality, her true feelings. He had stolen all love the princess had for Arus, Voltron, and Keith.

Lotor had obtained his Empress.


	7. Chapter 7

The Dark Emperor Ascends- Chapter Seven

Once again, I apologize for the hiatus!

I do not own Voltron, etc.

__

"Have you been crying?" Lance was staring at Keith after waking up. The sound of the cell door opening and meager food being brought in by the dungeon master had awakened him, and he could see his best friend had tears next to the rims of his eyes. Lance had never seen Keith cry, but for the time Allura had been presumed dead. It was probably one of the most unsettling sights he had ever seen.

Keith made no attempt to wipe his eyes or hide his tears. Instead, he sat up and hugged his knees. "I had a nightmare about Allura. And the worst part about it is that it's true."

"What happened?" Lance settled himself on his knees next to Keith.

Keith bit his lip. "She turned into the witch she is right now and turned me away. And then I had to watch Lotor screw her right in front of me." He made a fist. "But it's going to be true."

Lance settled down beside him, pushing the tray away. "Do you think Pidge is going to come?"

"_If_ he can get Sven to go. But we still don't have Voltron."

"And we still don't know how to break the spell."

Lance's eyes wandered to look at other people in the dungeon, who slept with bruises, ripped and dirty clothing, and pale skin from lack of sunlight. "I don't think they'll get here by tonight."

Keith sighed. "Probably not."

Lance found that he couldn't keep trying to make excuses or comforting Keith. It had been easy before to say "Everything will be fine" "Don't worry" "We can't give up hope". Now Lance was so tired, exhaustion wearing at him. While Keith had been having a nightmare and Hunk now still slumbered, Lance had tossed and turned, unable to rest at all. Eventually he fell asleep, but after less than an hour, he was awakened by the sound of another prisoner whimpering across the room. Lance's eyes had slowly opened and he could see in the dim light that fresh red lines ran down the prisoner's purple back, the blood still fresh. _They even mistreat their own people to the point of destruction. _He hadn't been able to fall back asleep after that and dozed off only for a few minutes before the cell door's squeal brought him back to his senses. It wasn't that he had never seen such violence before, but being imprisoned at the heart of it all seemed to accelerate how disturbing the whole situation was. He put an arm around Keith and they both sat in silence, having nothing to do but wait.

Keith seemed to be the one grieving the most about Allura's transformation, but inside Lance was in pain. To see the princess denounce her companions, parents, and her beloved planet hurt, almost more than anything had ever hurt him before. Even if done under a spell. Lance had only felt pain to that equivalent in his own past, when the Earth had been destroyed. All friends, all family…gone. No chance to ever whisper a word or share a laugh with them again. He had only his companions to bear imprisonment with on Doom. He would have liked never to think of that time again, but being again on Doom of course unleashed the hellish memories. This time around, they had gotten to see more of the landscape and palace, while last time they had been thrown into a pit and forced to fight. The danger had been so present and almost instantaneous that there was no time to think, only simply to fight. But now, Lance had many hours to think. The others never spoke of Earth. It was something they had silently vowed never to contemplate aloud. But inwardly, he had been reminded many times. Especially when Allura had spoken of the attack upon Arus and the loss of her parents. He knew exactly how that felt.

The day the five had left Earth still burned into his mind. Galaxy Alliance had offered Lance a coveted slot as one of the pilots to be in the space exploration program. Their mission was to pilot their way around the universe, to go where their commanders told them. Competition for the job had been so high he never would have imagined getting it; Lance had never felt so honored in his life. He geared up and prepared for the journey with great anticipation. It would be incredible to go explore, get away from the mundane life. But he would miss his father and little brother, Timothy, who at twelve was too young to go or train to be a pilot. His father, generally a quiet and strict man, had even thrown his arms around him with pride and told him that when he returned, he would be waiting to hear all about the journey. Lance ruffled Timothy's hair and set off to join up with his fellow pilots. Before home was out of sight, he turned and waved, smiling genially. "Don't worry, I'll bring you back something from another planet! You won't miss any of the details, I promise!" His father put a hand on Timothy's shoulder and they had both waved until they were out of Lance's sight. He smiled and slung his bag over one shoulder, excitement oozing.

The mission was not all fun and games, of course. It was a year of harsh toiling and lessons to be learned. But there were moments so beautiful as they traveled alongside the stars that they were sure that they would be willing to do ten times the amount of work just for the opportunity. The Alliance had sent them all around, to view planets that had not been surveyed in years, to check the status of other galaxies…it was an endless voyage around the universe. However stressful some times were, Lance had never been more content. He did miss home, of course, but the other pilots quickly became good substitutes. Hunk had lived not so far away from Lance and the two recalled many people and aspects they had in common, as well as being a good target for teasing. Sven was more serious (and it had taken Lance a time to get used to that accent, though after awhile he had grown to love it) and was one of the more experienced of all of them. Lance was surprised to meet Pidge, who was as small and the same age as his own younger brother, whom he had told could not go on such a mission. But Pidge was a prodigy, gifted and bubbling with skills even at so young an age. Keith was the one Lance identified most with. He had quickly grown to be his best friend, even if they had a few large differences between them. Keith, without ever being elected so, had become their leader. He seemed so concentrated on duty rather than his personal life that Lance had to wonder what had happened in his past. He never spoke of it, and Lance had never asked. Later, Lance would react disdainfully to how Keith focused too much upon his station and mission to even consider love until things had gone out of control. The five of them made a splendid team, and some nights after all was completed, they would eat and laugh and enjoy the vastness of space.

After their mission was complete, an entire year had passed.

"I can't wait for you to meet my brother, Pidge!" Lance told him cheerfully as they set in motion back toward home. "You can give him some tips and maybe next time even go on a mission together."

"There never does seem to be anyone my age," Pidge admitted with a laugh. "I better really train this kid!"

As they laughed, Keith suddenly spoke quietly. "I haven't gotten any communications from the tower. They haven't said anything in over a day."

"That's strange." Sven wrinkled his nose. "Could there be some sort of malfunction?"

"Probably. We'll have to fix it once we get back on the ground."

"It will be good to see some ladies again," Lance laughed. "We've seen so few of them it's just been a total sausage fest around here!"

"Ugh." Hunk pretended to choke. "You think you're some sort of ladies man, don't you?"

Lance only chuckled.

"You should have seen him before we set off," Keith said. "He wouldn't stop winking at the girls."

They all laughed and prudishly Lance laughed, "Hey, don't make me sound so perverted. I was just-"

Suddenly, he stopped talking. They all almost stopped breathing.

Earth's landscape was exterminated. There was nothing left of any value; only dry dirt and endless craters.

From where they were, they could see immediately that there was no greenery. Only brownish material. Even the brilliant blue of the oceans was gone, dried away. Earth resembled Mars, only much less vibrant. It looked dead.

Everyone was silent as Keith tensely flew lower to the ground of where the tower of the Galaxy Alliance was.

No people, no houses, no animals, no trees or plants. Nothing. The tower wasn't there anymore, not standing where it should have. Only rubble.

"Oh my God." Hunk shut his eyes.

Lance looked frantically across the land. In the distance, where his home had once stood, nothing remained. The loving arms of his father and bright eyes of his brother would never greet him again. Pidge was crying, shedding tears quietly. Sven and Hunk sat in silence, obviously consumed with their own losses. Everyone they had ever grown up with, loved, trained from, even the girls Lance had flirted with, their neighbors, schoolmates, alliance trainees…

"Who did this?" Lance said quietly now. He banged his fists on a table, his voice raising excruciatingly. "WHO THE HELL DID THIS?! WHY?!" He dropped his head and put a hand over his face. To have everything one has ever cared for taken away in one fell swoop is a horror that no one should ever have to endure. But that day, the five men , though they retained their lives, stood at this pain. And they realized that in all the universe, they only knew each other. Just four other people. Lance felt a hand on his shoulder. Keith was standing over him, doing his best to console him.

"It wasn't enough that they killed all the people, they had to destroy every single inch of the planet's surface." Hunk was shaking angrily.

Pidge sobbed, "I'll kill them! Every single one of them for doing this…"

"Who would hate Earth enough to proclaim nuclear war?" Sven questioned.

"I think we're about to find out," Keith said darkly, looking up to see a ship circling overhead. Quickly, he jumped back into the pilot seat. "If we don't leave, we'll end up like this!"

Despite their flight, Doom's ships had managed to corner the pilots. Instead of being killed instantly, as they had expected, they were thrown into Zarkon's arena and forced to fight for their lives. It was here they discovered Planet Doom, tucked away in an entirely different galaxy that they had never even been in before. Planet Doom had never been mentioned to them, but now seemed to be terrorizing many other planets. Earth had only been one victim. Arus, they discovered, had also faced blunt trauma, though not quite to the same extent. Once in the duty for the princess, they had all taken their roles very seriously. They had no other people in the universe, but for this princess who needed to protect her planet from the same aggressor who had destroyed their homes and slaughtered their loved ones and acquaintances alike. Fighting Doom and helping her was a mission they would never have turned down. The pain of what they had done to Earth still hurt and Lance thought of it each time he stepped into a fight and saw Lotor. His resolve would never stop burning for that cause.

Allura was the only girl Lance had ever really pined over to such an extent. When they'd met, his cheeks had turned red in the darkness of Arus' palace as it was still in ruins, hiding his infatuation from the others. She stood out in such contrast to the rubble, still so vibrant and lovely. Whenever he saw her, he couldn't help but tease her and speak to her. But it had been apparent sooner than later that Keith and Allura were in love, even if they would never admit it to themselves or each other. Allura would look at Keith with a sort of awe and amiability that didn't make her ardor obvious but was still there for him to decipher. And Keith…well, it was just plain to see how much he cared about her safety and happiness. His cares went much farther than simply duty and loyalty. Lance had one day simply stepped back, stalling himself from increasing his affection. She could only be his companion and he wouldn't get in their way. He would, however, be just as adamant as Keith in ensuring her protection.

Lance's heart hurt with the past biting at it. The days on Arus had brought such happiness to spur away the grief that he hadn't pictured ever being at rock bottom again.

It was an hour or so later that the dungeon master returned. Lance and Keith stood. Lance felt the tension boil over in his stomach. Without windows, there was no way to tell what time it was. It couldn't be nighttime already…could it? Surely not that much time had passed!

"The Emperor commands the presence of the Voltron Commander."

Keith stepped forward to follow as Lance remained behind, standing at the front of the cell and letting the coldness of the bars brush his face.

_We haven't come this far to let Lotor take it all away from us._

--

Keith was unshackled upon entering the Emperor's chamber. He stood straight and tall as the guards waited outside the door. Astutely, he looked around the room. _Now might be my chance to escape_.

"You truly underestimate us if you think you can get away so easily."

A curtain slid aside and Allura entered from a connecting room. Those red eyes pierced him cynically. She held a scepter in one hand, gold and bejeweled.

"You will have to fight me to leave this room. And I dare say you wouldn't hurt me."

She smiled, the black lips curling deviously. Keith wasn't so sure what to say, and instead could only stare and damn Lotor for what he had done. "I heard Lotor sent for me," he said finally.

"No, it was I who wanted to see you. Lord Lotor is busy at present. I wanted to have a last visit with you before the wedding, so you can see what can never be yours one more time before she joins with another man of her own free will."

"You're wrong, Allura," Keith said sharply. "If it were your own free will, then why don't you tell Haggar to remove the spell and see if you still make the same choice?"

"Ah, but you do not understand." She set the scepter upon the ground, illuminating her glorious appearance. She truly looked like a Queen, clad in such lavish luxury and with her authoritative stance. "Haggar's spell draws out the desires deep within my heart that I am unable to do otherwise with Arusian worries. This way, I am doing what I desire most, without any impediment or fear."

"Is that what she told you?"

Allura nodded, licking her lips. "Soon Lotor will be mine as much as I am his."

"And you believe the witch?" Keith asked with guarded skepticism.

"I believe what I see to be true. I can feel the desire undulating, pulsing all throughout my veins. It has been nearly impossible not to throw myself upon him."

"It is a spell that has tainted your head, Allura, not your heart. She has worked you into thinking you want Lotor." His eyes were full of anger. "It is a lie!"

"Say what you want. But I know it to be true."

"If it is true, then you are a coward."

She looked at him, thoroughly shocked. "What did you say to me?" Her eyes glinted in literal blood-red anger.

"You are a coward then, Allura," he repeated calmly. "If you say you can't go after your own desires without a disgusting spell placed upon you."

"How dare you!" Allura drew back the rod and swung it at him, but he easily grabbed it and pulled it toward him, pulling her forward as well. She gasped, losing her composure, but it lasted only for a moment. He looked down into her face, which was now only an inch or so away as she tried to move away. "You said I could say what I want."

"I am the Queen!" she shouted at him. "You will show your respect."

"You are not."

"What-?!" Her face tensed.

"You're not the Queen. Not yet. You are still only the Princess of Arus. You're not married yet. And even when you are Queen of Doom, I will never bow to you under that title. I show no respect to Doom!"

She looked up into his face incredulously, then smirked. "Oh, is that so?"

"If this is all you've wished to say to me, I'd rather go back to my cell."

"You have to go through me to leave!" she reminded him peevishly.

He knocked the scepter aside and easily grasped her by the shoulders, his strength still much more than hers. "Why is it you don't want me to go?" he questioned hotly as she struggled to pull away. "I should think you almost had feelings for me, as you do when not under this damn spell!"

"Let go!" she cried out. "Your fingers…they burn my skin!"

Keith let go with a gasp and she slumped over for a moment, grabbing the side of the bed for support. It was true. Where Keith's fingers had been the skin was red, almost as though he had dug into the skin hard, which he hadn't.

"How could you believe Haggar when she has obviously made this barrier to separate us, from what you really want? If I didn't know any better, Allura, I'd say the deep desire in your heart is to be with me!"

She looked up at him in fury. "Silence!"

"You know it's true, Allura!"

"Silence! Get out of here! Get out!" Allura was hysterical, clutching her heart in a frenzy. "Guards! Grab him! Get him out of my sight!" The red in her eyes was flickering. Keith gasped. The spell was beginning to break! He leapt towards the princess, but the guards burst in. Keith was certain if he spoke more, he could bring Allura back to her normal state. But the guards were already dragging him away. He elbowed one in the face and again lunged toward Allura. Gasping and falling to her knees, she cried out. He could see she was in terrible pain as the spell and her mind fought head-to-head. He reached out to touch her again as the innocent blue became visible in-between each red glow. The other guard struck Keith in the back of the head with the butt of his laser gun, and both of them began to pull him away from the princess.

_Dammit, I was that close! _Keith thought in frustration. _If only these bastards would let go of me!_

Lotor was standing in the hallway, waiting for him.

"She doesn't want you, she repels you. It is for me she craves…" He sneered at Keith now.

"Then why is her mind at full force trying to break the spell?" Keith challenged.

"None can challenge the power of Haggar," Lotor jeered. "You've seen that many times in the past few days. Voltron and Arus' defense, unlike her magic, are not impenetrable. You will see soon that Allura will never retreat from her new self.

"But do excuse me for not speaking to you longer, commander. I have my wedding to prepare for."

--

Another Golion reference- Golion starts with the five pilots returning to Earth after a mission away to find it destroyed by nuclear war THEN having them taken away to be enslaved on Doom before arriving on Arus and meeting the princess. In Voltron, they come to Arus before being enslaved and then return.

This means Keith, Sven, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge are all natural-born Earthlings. I am definitely not an expert on Voltron or Golion, but I hope any additional plot elements I add are both enjoyable and to an extent, factual. The back stories of the individual pilots before their initial mission is an aspect I am particularly hazy on, having not seen all of Voltron in years, nor viewing the original Golion and having only research to rely on, but I decided to supply a certain variation of what may have been going on.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please let me know what you think. :)


	8. Chapter 8

The Dark Emperor Ascends- Chapter Eight

As usual, no ownership of Voltron exists on my part.

--

"Stop!" Allura's voice rang out through the corridor, causing Lotor, Keith, and the guards who held him to turn. She emerged in the doorway, obviously breathless, the red in her eyes still solidly in place. She seemed to be clutching the doorway for support, her voice less imperious than it had been earlier. Keith feared that she would faint and edged forward slightly. His face was dark, weighted by the spell's barrier between him and the princess. Even without the guards, she was impossible to reach. _My God. I really hurt her. I never would have known trying to break the black magic would cause so much pain to her. Haggar's curse is a strong one. Too strong for me to break by simply persuasion. _If he had been expecting to win back his princess by tapping into her heart, he would be bitterly disappointed. It was clear now that all he could do was hurt her. Any sincere thoughts of his tenderness, reconsideration, or anti- Lotor themes caused her harm. He was literally tearing her apart by trying to reach her. He wasn't getting any closer to success. He could see her real face, kind eyes flooded over, the smile giving way to quivering lips. He could hear her screaming, wild imaginings of the results of his interference. He actually grabbed his chest in response, as though what he envisioned was tangible.

"Bring him…back here," her breath was heavy, her face vicious. It was hard to believe that- seconds earlier- the blue in her eyes had been slightly visible. Now she was the daunting Queen once again.

Lotor stepped forward and took her into his strong arms. "My love, you exhaust yourself." She settled at his side, wrapping her arms around him tightly and closing her eyes. "Later, you can gloat at him…once you are the Queen, the Empress of all Doom." Allura's weight fell into him and Keith stepped forward automatically to help; the guards shoved him back as Lotor picked her up. His lip tightened in anger, to see Lotor holding Allura as personal property. It was just so inconceivable after such a peaceful time without his presence that it had come to this.

"Take him away," the Emperor commanded. "And do not take him out until the wedding." Lotor was too smug, too confident for Keith to simply stand there. He'd had enough and didn't care what was done to him in his rebellion.

"Fuck you, Lotor," Keith seethed. "Can't you see how much pain you're putting her through?"

"And it is you that causes this pain," Lotor retorted slyly. "You treat the woman you love quite poorly."

Keith sputtered, "Bastard!" The guards restrained him as he tried to lunge at Lotor's pompous face, the axe helmet glittering in the torchlights of the corridor. He came very close to hitting him, his shoulder brushing Allura as the guards pulled him back.

"Whip him," Lotor commanded, gathering Allura in his arms, the black train of her dress dangling over his arms. "Forty lashes." He would have liked nothing more than to physically beat Keith himself, but he was preoccupied with the princess in his arms and unable to reprimand the commander in any form at the moment through personal methods.

Keith didn't even put up a fight. He didn't move his legs and the guards had to drag him away.

"You like pain, captain," Lotor called after him. "You must with the way you act. And I shall be generous enough to grant your desire."

Lotor laid Allura down on his bed, tracing the black of her lips. The finger marks from Keith's soft touch were beginning to fade. Her chest was rising and falling very deeply, putting her in the stages of longer unconsciousness than usual for fainting. Keith had almost broken the spell- almost. But as the witch had assured her Emperor, the spell could not be undone by words. Lotor smirked. Even he didn't like the thought of his princess in pain, but he rather liked the never ending endurance Keith showed, relentlessly trying to break the spell and failing to do so. Keith's raised and dashed hopes were more entertaining than watching the lowest Doomite get whipped or taking a turn with a serving maid. He laughed, happy that for once when Allura opened her eyes, she would not rebuff him.

--

"When will he bring Keith back, do you think?" Hunk was restless. The cell was small, and even with only two of them, it was hard not to be edgy. They'd both been pacing around anxiously in the hours Keith had been gone. Why had he been taken out of the cell? How much longer would he be gone? What did they want with him? Would he be alright? Had Lotor perhaps wanted to gloat in his face or was there a more sinister reason?

Lance said quietly, "For all we know, they've killed him. But I very much doubt that. Lotor wants all of us at his wedding." He put his face in his knees. He didn't want to rationalize anything anymore. He didn't want to be the voice of reason right now.

"You've been the rock this whole time. Now you're going to cave in?"

Lance sighed. "It's harder to be the rock than it looks."

"But it's the only reason I haven't caved in." Hunk snorted slightly. "No giving up until the end. Until we have nothing left to do."

"That's right. But as long as we're in this cell, I can't help thinking about how it all seems hopeless. Life is going to change so much even if we were somehow, by some miracle, able to get out of here." He looked at his hands. "If we break the spell and get the princess back to Arus, things will change for the good. Maybe they'd even be able to get married."

Hunk laughed. "As nice as that sounds, come on. King Keith?"

Even Lance laughed a little. It wasn't the leading the country part that piqued them, but rather the idea of Keith living in luxury and being a royal. It was a silly thought. He would probably still want to dress as a commander. Still want to spend time with the Voltron Force as usual. The thoughts were so funny that he actually forgot the situation for a few minutes. Yet in mind, he could picture the arrangement without laughing. Keith and Allura would sit on their thrones in earnest, rule Arus well. They would handle all the problems thrown at them with careful contemplation. Coran and Nanny would finally have some reassurance in there being a king, even if he was commonborn. And then there would be children. Lance still felt that small pit of care for the princess, deeper than a guardian should feel. He decided to tout that into his determination to help spare her from Doom. He wanted to see this couple on the throne. "If we escape without the princess-"

"That will never happen," Hunk said instantly. "Impossible."

"I'm glad you think so. Shows your loyalty." And at a time like this, positive emotion helped in ways words could never hope to sum up.

--

Keith nearly bit through his lip at the first blow. He'd been tortured before, but it had been so long he'd almost forgotten the complete wake-up it did to the mind and body. It was hard to place your thoughts in another world to forget the pain when it was literally slashing at you to get your attention. His fists were in chains above his head, his shirt torn away. His back, before unharmed that was skin fresh and smooth, was clear and primed for the whip. The torn skin of the whip mark began to bleed steadily. The blood trickled down his back; he could feel it weaving over his spine, its current thick and unrelenting.

_Shit_, Keith thought to himself. The guard was deliberately easing up between each lash. By the time each blow's sting had faded from the initial agony to a duller ache, then the next blow would rain down upon him, ready to crack into the skin again and create a new hurt. He tensed in dread of the next blows, refusing to cry out, but wanting desperately to do so. _Only thirty-nine more blows to go_, he thought sarcastically. The next blow came. He winced, only allowing himself to groan. Each strike caused him to jolt forward, forcing his wrists against the chains and cutting them, bruising his body even more. He sighed and tried to think of something cheerful, a formidable task at the time being. It forced him to look into the past. Allura as herself, with that smile he so cherished whenever it was bestowed upon him, seemed to be so far away. Lance had mentioned that at least Allura would be happy with Lotor as long as she was under the spell. But Keith wasn't so certain. What if deep inside, the real Allura was trapped, desperate to get out? What if she was in constant pain, trying to stop the forced actions the spell compelled her to commit? He knew already that the spell caused pain, but within the damage might be even greater. He couldn't just leave her there to be a prisoner forever. Very clearly he could see her in desperation, running inside a void of darkness where no exit existed.

Lash number twenty cracked down, ripping through the flesh. Halfway to go.

_I can't fight with a wounded back. Even if they were to undo the chains I would fail._

By lash thirty, Keith was starting to get delirious. He began to imagine the old Allura bending down to cleanse his back for him, kissing the damaged skin. She took a wet cloth and swept up the fountain of blood. Her touch made the pain go away. Lash thirty-five brought him back to the present. The pain was still very much there. At last, the final blow came and he leaned forward in exhaustion. His back was a mixture of fire and ice, both so bitter and unbending. He felt shattered, yet still would not give in to the urge to exclaim. He was left there for some time, forced to support himself on weak legs as falling over would only slash his wrists more than they already were. He'd had enough damage.

Before he knew it, he was being pulled down. His shirt was used to coarsely rub the blood away and he was given another to throw over himself. He winced at the constant contact of the skin. He hunched a bit while walking down the corridor, his back stinging more than enough to impede him. Lance and Hunk were waiting for him. The guard chained Keith's wrists and ankles together, as the others' already were.

"You look terrible," Lance said wryly.

Keith reacted with a small grunt. "It's hard to look cheerful after forty lashes under a Doom whip."

Hunk moaned. The blood was still seeping through the back of the commander's shirt.

"Why aren't we in the cell?" Keith muttered, still hunched over so as not to stretch the skin of his back by standing up straight.

Lance looked straight ahead, avoiding eye contact. "It's time for the wedding."

They were ordered to march to the great hall. There, the festivities had been brewing actively for the last few days. The room did not look as it had before the trio had been flung into the dungeon but instead had been turned into a place for nuptials. It almost appeared to be a cathedral, yet did not have that heavenly or optimistic atmosphere to it. Three guards stood behind the men in the back of the hall. The place was packed full of courtiers and courtesans, all prominent Dooms. Lotor was at the front of the room, his helmet off and those white locks slicked back behind the ears. He was smirking. At last, all that he had worked so hard for, fantasized about, was about to come true.

At last, Allura entered, walked slowly down the aisle. Her appearance sent shockwaves to the team. She looked like a bride of the night, with a golden scepter in hand. Keith looked away, unable to watch as she took Lotor's hand. He looked at the others, strength surging. Allura's hair was pin straight, giving her an older, more experienced appearance. Think coiled black swirls served as earrings that dangled a couple of inches, in stark contrast with her golden locks. Her red eyes were more than satisfied.

Allura was indeed very pleased with herself, to be at the Emperor's side. She could scarcely wait to say her vows to him. But as Lotor had explained, there really were no vows, simply a ritual. She would drink a potion held to be valuable on Doom as Lotor did the same, almost in a toast to one another. Lotor smirked, thinking of Keith and his obvious distress. Once all Doomites were settled, the couple stood facing one another. Lotor took Allura's hand, caressing it as he led her to the golden tray on the altar, to their left, while the audience was on their right. Two chalices awaited. Allura grasped hers in a tight grip, those black lips upturned, while Lotor in turn took his own, the anticipation greater than ever. _Finally,_ she thought to herself. _It shall be done!_ She looked at the blood-red liquid and contemplated for a moment as Keith raised his head hopefully, Lance and Hunk behind. _Had she remembered? Would she really drink? It couldn't be!_

Allura grinned and immediately downed the goblet with Lotor. Keith's heart sank. It was done. The crowd beamed in applause and joy as the trio hung their heads.

The royalty turned to face their guests, just as an emissary came behind Allura. In his hand, he held the royal, golden crown. Slowly, he placed it upon her head. "To the Empress of Doom."

Allura's body tingled with pleasure. Queen of all Doom! Soon to begin her true union with her liege. She was truly excited and ready, feeling not at all apprehensive about the first time. Keith's nightmares, she was sure, were her little fantasies about to come true.

The Queen's sharp red irises caught something in the crowd. A soldier, clad in his garbs. He seemed to be hovering oddly at the back of the room, as though stricken. No one seemed to notice but for her. Piqued by the oddity, she continued to stare, her mouth opening incredulously when the soldier threw something at her. She closed her eyes, certain it was a weapon of some sort. But she felt no impact at all. _Am I hallucinating?_ She opened them again and the soldier was gone. Feeling annoyed, she turned her attention back to her husband and regarded the Voltron group arrogantly. Lotor swept her into his arms and kissed her so passionately that she began to feel swept away. He had never gone that far before with her. Her surprise was one of contentment and the crowd's burst was deafening. Soon, she was exiting the grand hall arm in arm with him, ready for their reign together.

The trio was shackled and sent back to their cells, their fate to be announced the following morning. Keith couldn't speak.

"I'm sorry, buddy." Lance was stricken. "I'm sorry."

Keith buried his face in his knees. "I promised her I'd never let him hurt her. I promised…"

Hunk shut his eyes. "There's nothing you could do. She's in Lotor's grasp now. Perhaps she's even happy that way."

"But what if, deep inside, she is herself? I cannot bear that even more than this marriage." He looked away. "Coran-Nanny- Arus- everyone will weep. It's done for."

"Don't say that," Lance tried to say. But his mouth was dry. He couldn't contest the situation at hand. It had happened too fast and now nothing could be done about it.

--

Lotor ran his hands through Allura's hair, removing her crown and letting the tresses fall loose, as they had when she'd been her usual self. He still wanted that glean of innocence to shine as he took her for the first time, even if she was willing now. Allura had set her scepter down, and was all ready for him.

"Just for a moment," she cooed, breaking away from those hungry lips reluctantly. She went into the private chamber to put on her sultry night garments, silky and black- and very short, with almost all her shoulders exposed. She knew she wouldn't wear it long. But still, she wanted to please him. She was so excited she nearly burst, looking into the mirror with satisfaction. The pleasure was so close. She hummed a little as she let the wedding garment fall to the floor and pulled the nightdress over her head. Her smooth legs were visible. She wore nothing beneath. She started to turn away toward the bedroom, when suddenly her belly felt strange. She gasped, hunching over as pain overtook her.

_What…what's going on?!_

Suddenly, she felt a snap. It was as though she had been shot in the stomach. Her hair flew forward as though an impact had occurred as her mouth opened wide, in silent shock; that instant, the red in her eyes shattered.

She huddled to the floor, wondering what had just happened, her whole mindset feeling strange. _What…oh…my…NO!_

She stood frantically, looking at herself. The short dress- she was back to herself and Lotor was about to claim her. She was married!

Allura shook, covering herself immediately with a robe, tears pricking her eyes. _No…I did all of those things?_ The memories rushed back in, flooding her mind. She'd spoken cruelly to her loyal followers, been excited to have Lotor claim her, and married him willfully. And she'd hurt her love worse than she'd ever thought possible._ Keith!_

Allura stumbled back in the wall. "Oh, God…What should I do?" If she went out, Lotor would take her, with no more barriers between them. His wife's virginity was fully his, in the marital view. She wanted to scream, to get away before he could make her. But there was no way out of this room that didn't lead straight to her husband.

She finally decided that perhaps pretending to still be hypnotized could work; then, she could stealthily give him cause to come back later. Meanwhile, she could free the others and escape. Putting her wedding clothes back on, she formulated a plan, knowing that stalling would evoke suspicion. Holding her breath, she closed her eyes and spun back into the bedroom while laughing, plummeting straight onto the bed. Lotor was laughing at this display of excitement. Allura kissed him as she had while hypnotized and whispered, "It's still light outside. I've been thinking that I want to wait until the night, with the stars overhead." She kissed him again, her eyes still closed with a small smile. She realized she needed to be more sultry, as she was before. She ran her hands across his chest, and he responded by chuckling, kissing her back as she felt sick. Caressing her breasts, he reluctantly agreed. "In that, I believe you're still like your old self."

Allura shook her head in disgust. "I hate the way I was." She wrapped her arms around his strong figure and tried to ignore the weight of him upon her. "This is what I want."

Lotor was enjoying himself immensely. "As I thought."

In truth, she was worried that he would catch on. She arched her hips and head and played with his lips. As she worried about how long she could keep this up without him being suspicious about her keeping her eyes shut, a rapping at the door startled them, a young man bursting in. Allura recognized him as a soldier.

"You dare to interrupt me now?" he barked.

"It's the prisoners, Your Majesty!" The guard panted. "They've escaped!"


	9. Chapter 9

The Dark Emperor Ascends- Chapter Nine

Allura stood stiffly, as though she had been doused by a bucket of chilled ice water. This was what she had been hoping for, yet there was no way to express joy now, not with Lotor by her side. And yet she could not bring herself to act angered or spiteful without sounding entirely false. She decided instead to remain silent and allow Lotor to handle the matter.

His reaction was enough for the both of them. It was not a yell of rage or upset, but instead, he was eerily calm. "Have the proper barricades been erected to prevent them from leaving the palace?"

"Yes, my lord," the guard said breathlessly. "It was done immediately. They are searching for them within the confines."

Lotor approached the guard slowly. Allura fought to repress a shudder. She knew that expression. "And how, may I ask, did they escape?" He genuinely seemed curious, his voice holding no accusatory daggers.

"Well- my lord- they…" the poor Doomite was stuttering, unable to produce even a complete sentence. He, too, recognized his fate. "We are not entirely certain."

"No?" Lotor was a full foot taller than the pathetic soldier. Even if he was the one who had thrown her back into the corridor after she'd tried to escape, Allura still pitied him. "Were there no precautions?"

"No, my lord, there were many. But they were able to leave their cell and slay the guards on duty."

Those golden eyes were on fire. Allura looked away. "How could they leave a locked cell? Did they break out?"

"Well, there appears to be no sign that they broke out, as no noises were heard, no trauma to the cell. It appears they may have…"

"Yes?" Lotor's voice was sharper than a blade.

"Obtained- a key- somehow," the guard finished, short of breath.

"And how could they have slain two armed guards?"

"I...I don't know, Your Majesty."

Faster than she could blink, Lotor drew his sword from his sheath and slashed the guard in one swift stroke across the belly. Allura swallowed, knitting her brow to keep from appearing frightened and trying to maintain a sense of anger. The guard collapsed, writhing with sharp gasps. Lotor turned to her and, her eyes still down, she took the sword from him to clean it. She used a rag to wipe the blood away, trying to focus more on the smoothness of the blade rather than the smell and sight of the stains. Inwardly, she cringed at the remnants of guts on the sword, now spilling out onto the floor.

"What are you doing?" Lotor's voice was harsh.

Allura kept her back turned, her eyes widening in dread. "My lord?"

"Put that down." He took the sword away and put it back in his sheath. "That is not for you to do."

She nodded, tossing the rag upon the body. Even if he was a Doom guard, she couldn't help but feel guilty. Silently, she directed an apology to him. "Damn fools. How could they be so ignorant that prisoners could actually obtain keys? The inadequacy is sickening."

Lotor tossed his coat aside. "Those pathetic creatures know little. They can do little. I sometimes believe I am employing monkeys to do these simple, yet constantly botched tasks." His voice was tense. He was upset about the escape, obviously. This was supposed to be an enjoyable day of glory.

"They shall be punished for their incompetence. But first, they should at least be able to stop those filth from getting out of the palace. Then we shall search for more appropriate help."

"I shall go see to the proceedings. I know where they might hide." He stood and she remained where she was, her eyes down. "Then I shall see you tonight. We won't allow them to spoil our wedding night."

Allura smiled in that old, devious manner. "I look forward to it."

Lotor was almost to the door when he stopped. Allura's heart fluttered. She had been wishing for him to leave, so as not to discover her secret. But instead, he idled in the doorway.

The seconds ticked by, in which he said nothing.

Her throat parched and on fire under the stress, she went to pour herself a glass of wine. "Would you like one, my lord?" She cringed again with her back turned, praying for him to go and not question her.

"Turn around."

She prickled inwardly, but did as he said. Lotor came closer, and she kept her eyes down, still holding the chalice up. He smacked it away, and it broke, smashing to pieces not far from the guard's body. Retracting all normal reaction, she remained placidly normal.

"Look at me."

Allura hesitated. He knew.

"Don't be coy. I saw your eyes when the guard was here." He dug his fingers into her shoulders. Oh, he was upset.

She raised her eyes to look at him, keeping up that almost contemptuous air. "I knew you would be angry. But I am still very much myself, the way I am meant to be even if my eyes are blue. Ask your crone and she shall be able to tell you." She said the words coolly, thoroughly bemused.

She waited.

Lotor said nothing.

She looked at him with a sort of pout, enhanced well with her black painted lips. "You don't believe me," she said icily. It was easy to be full of contempt for him.

"You can prove yourself to me tonight," he finally said. "For now, I will go look for them." He drew his sword and held the blade in front of his face, straight in the air. "And then it shall be done." He studied her carefully.

She smirked. "Then go." Her look was sultry. She'd won him over. He would assume the true Allura to hold disgust and repulsion for him. But to be certain, she slowly approached him and put her hands on his muscular chest, tracing the tightness, down past the abs. It had been her time as a dark mistress that she'd learn such tricks, what could always please a man. Her hands went below the waistline and remained over his most intimate parts. She let her hand linger, her face clearly excited and enjoying her actions. "And return soon with their heads."

Lotor nodded his head, stiffened by the zealous reaction to her touch. "I will deliver them to you upon a platter."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

At last, he left her. She looked at her hand in repulsion, wondering how she had been able to act this way and grateful the spell had at last been broken. She still wondered how, but was happy at least it had been done. As she hurried to dress in lighter clothing, she mentally went over everything. Had Keith's words brought her back to her senses or had the desperate state of events caused the return to normalcy? As she tied the bodice of the looser dress with swift, agile fingers, it suddenly dawned on her. It had something to do with the strange event that had taken place within the lavish wedding ceremony. That man who had thrown something at her. Perhaps that something had been some sort of magic. But it made little sense. Why would a Doomite try to break the spell? Unless…

Stepping over the guard, broken glass, and spilled wine, Allura hurried into the corridor. Had Lotor not believed her, the door would have been locked with a heavy chain. She was pleased she'd convinced him, but now was in a race against time. She had to find them before he did. She would never forgive herself if her wishes made during duress were actually granted.

Allura hurried through the castle. All places were being searched, and she found herself hiding whenever she heard anyone coming. But Lotor's private sector was not subject to the scrutiny, as its barriers were more than thoroughly protected. She wasn't aware of any secret corridors or areas where they could hide well. But she resolved to disguise herself first, and then go search. She went into the weapons room, where Lotor's men stored armor and arsenal. There, she found several uniforms, of all different sizes. Perfect. It was hot and stuffy within, but provided the ideal solution. With that in tow, she ran into the confines of the palace, ready to search and starting to form ideas of where hiding could work. As she had only really explored Lotor's personal area, having no reason to wander a stray too far under the spell, she knew it was imperative to walk beyond the guards outside of the double doors and into the outer sectors. Laser in hand and shaking slightly, she ran.

Each step was anxiety. What if the rest of the Voltron group was found by Lotor first? How did they escape? And if she found them first, how would they escape Doom? Under Haggar's trickery, Allura had laughed harder than ever while enjoying a goblet of wine with the Emperor as he ordered their airship to be destroyed where it lay some yards beyond the castle gates. Dashing plans of stealing one of Doom's own ships came to mind, but it was more of an idealized notion than anything. Of all things guarded best on Doom, their technology was top. Even if several other disguises could be lifted, it would be no easy task to simply hop on a ship and fly off into the sunset. Keys and codes were required to even enter the premises. Lotor had given her a grand tour of the grounds. When they had visited the hangar, passwords were required to even enter, and, as he mentioned also, to fly the aircrafts. Voltron wouldn't know that. It would probably be their first target. With that in mind, she made her way down to the hangar's floor, questions still eating at her mind.

The entire castle was still being ravaged for traces of the men. Tapestries were being looked behind, doors opened, closets inspected, tables searched under… their discovery seemed imminent. Allura, on her own quest, found no sign of the men in the proximity. Surely they must be in a better spot than gallivanting in a room. They might be disguised, as they were upon entering the palace or in a less than likely area. She could not even enter the hangar on her own without the code and did not wish to attract attention. She went down to the next likely area, the servants' areas. The kitchen had already been searched; she could ascertain that immediately by its appearance. Though it hadn't been horribly ransacked, tablecloths had been jerked up, closets had been ripped open, and the pantry was in a mess. Allura walked farther in. One door on the far side was locked. What could a kitchen hold that needed to be locked? Further storage? No key could be found, though she searched through cabinets and drawers. She was about to leave and give up, when further inspection yielded something strange. Peering closely, she could see something odd about the dumbwaiter, the contraption that moved food and other objects between floors. It was larger than she had ever seen one and had provided good hiding place: boot prints, though faint, were visible on the steel. She looked so closely, her helmet bumped into the wall. Allura knew directly above was a populated area not worthy of hiding. The only plausible option was to go down, to the area she knew nothing about. Allura squeezed inside, and was horrified to see traces of something red left behind. She hoped it was some sort of sauce or culinary imprint, but the presence of someone using the dumbwaiter as transportation made her believe otherwise. Allura pulled her way down to the next level. It was a poorly lit area, with one small lantern allowing her to see this was indeed a pantry, full many types of food and ingredients. She looked around, beyond the shelves. It was large, but there was little place else to see. Could the traveler have been going upwards instead? Why, when this was the lowest level? Allura stopped tiptoeing, and her steps echoed.

"Lance!"

Allura swiveled to see someone huddling towards her in the dimness. She squinted until his form came into focus. Keith's reaction was immediate to seeing a Doom guard. Though critically injured, he stepped back, growling.

"Keith."

He halted, recognizing her voice instantly. Allura removed her helmet, and used the back of her wrist to wipe the remaining black paint from her lips. Her eyes were shining. She was ashamed with herself, cheeks burning. It was difficult to face even the man she held so much affection for after all that had happened. She stepped forward, but Keith retreated. "How can I know it is truly you?"

She advanced again, cautiously, and took his hand. "Look into my eyes, Keith. Ask me anything I would know, anything you would wish me to do. The spell is broken. I don't know how or why, but it has been done. I regret all I have done while under its influence." Her voice was strained. His hand was so warm, she could even feel it through the gloves. His expression soon softened. He knew the truth when it stared him in the face. She looked at him carefully. Keith didn't seem himself. He was pale, his brow damp, and circles dark beneath his eyes. He was slightly hunched over, his breath heavier than it should be even in a poignant reunion."What have they done to you?"

He grimaced. "Fort- some lashes, just before the wedding." She didn't need to know how many.

Her eyes filled. In the dimness, she could see the traces of blood. She stood to find some other sort of light source with which to examine his back. She settled for grabbing the lantern and holding it up with one hand. His back was a mass of dried blood and deep marks, so many marks. It was a wonder he could move at all. She reached forward, as though to help, but he said, "Don't worry. We can figure something out later."

"I- I am so sorry…"

Keith shook his head. "It wasn't your fault."

She wasn't satisfied with those words. He wasn't opening up to her, but then again this was hardly the right time. For now, they were safe, but it was time to continue the mission. Emotion could wait. She just hated the feeling of stoniness between them and wished they could be in a safe setting with many hours to purge their thoughts and feelings. But that may never happen. "Tell me what happened."

At last, Keith was willing to speak. "I- I'm not so sure. But we were able to get out. I can scarcely recall since I was blacking out, but I do recall running with Lance, Hunk...oh, you'll laugh if I tell you."

Her eyes sparkled at the thought of such positive feelings at a time such as this. "First, tell me the plan. Are we to wait here or…"

He shook his head. "We got separated. But remaining here will be the best course of action for now. I will soon explain."

And she sat back, listening to his grand tale. The Commander was back to his old self.

_The time in the cell was painful. Over, just over. The wedding done and the execution and takeover soon to come to be, they all sat and waited. It had never been such a hopeless time. _

"_This reminds me of when home was destroyed," Lance said quietly. _

_Keith looked up at him, eyes willing him to continue._

"_We all sat in our cells after Doom caught us, silent as the night and moping. We barely even talked of how to escape."_

"_We were in shock," Hunk recalled. "We didn't know what to do."_

"_Or how we would continue," Keith spoke up. "But we did."_

_It was true. No one had been able to picture life without everyone on Earth. Lance's brother and father had been so vivacious and cheerful when he'd last seen them. All of their friends had seemed happy with their positions, whether in training or civilians. Now, they belonged to history, thier lives and activities blacked out swiftly because of Doom's greed. But after the shock had ended and they were tossed into the ring, the anger had set in. And they'd refused to be wiped out so easily. They now owed it to Earth and all its fallen ones to dedicate their lives to Doom's destruction. And to protect the planet they now held so dear.  
_

_Lance's face was sentimental. "One more try is the least we can do."_

"_For certain, we'll try. We'll try to overtake them when they come to kill us, before the final blow. We will try to even in irons." Keith's voice was crisp. "And we will not go out without any resistance."_

_The hours ran together in a blur of awkward silences and brash words. The wordless periods were full of tension. No one wanted to speak meaningless gibberish, which is what optimism at this point truly was. No one wanted to be overly depressing and dwell in misery, either. And no one wished to cause any more pain than was necessary. It was almost that feeling of being in an argument with someone and remaining silent so as not to elicit negative responses or deepen the wounds. When they did speak, the conversation seemed to be the same and utterly pointless. There were times Keith wished to reminisce, and speak of the good memories, especially if they were about to be killed. But they seemed too laden. It was not to be spoken of now. Perhaps in a few hours, if they were still in the cell, he would. They were fed little at all. Still in pain from the whipping, Keith felt almost in a trance. Had it been five minutes or five hours? Would his energy return at all? That last ditch effort was to be very weak on his part, he was sure. He felt hot despite the cold damp of the dungeon, and was constantly wiping sweat away from his brow. The wounds had certainly become infected, not helped by having no treatment and being in a filthy cell. He lay on his back, trying to fight unconsciousness._

"_Keith?"_

_It was beyond difficult to hide anything from Lance. His back turned away from his friends, Keith said, "I'm going to nap. I'm exhausted."_

_Lance snorted. Being well rested wasn't a prisoner's luxury to behold. _

_As Keith fought the waves of fainting, he tried to keep his mind on the memories he could not express aloud. He had never fainted before but for one lone incident. He had been training in the forest not far from the palace on Arus and had pushed himself to the ends of exertion. He had felt the weariness seep into his bones until he felt the ground seem to disappear from beneath his feet. He had awoken hours later in the infirmary of the palace. Worried, the force had gone looking for him. It was hilarious to Lance and Hunk that Keith had fallen prey to his own vehemence rather than any enemies. He had been embarrassed, but Allura hadn't laughed. He remembered her standing in the corner of the room, hanging back as they teased him. The lighting of the castle had been dim, but she seemed brightened by the pink gown and golden hair. Concern shone on her face as she held onto her necklace.  
_

Ugh…I miss her,_ he thought deliriously. _When she was normal. _Keith closed his eyes and passed out for at least several minutes, he couldn't be certain. But it did not seem that much longer before he was being shaken awake. _

"_Keith, get up!" _

_Blond hair, blue eyes. Keith was startled, leaping back. He immediately groaned at the pain. Had his dreams come to be reality? Surely Allura had been in the jumbled adventures of the world of dreams. As everything seemed surreal and the voices farther and farther away, he vaguely felt Lance and Hunk pulling him up and grabbing him. _

"_Allura," Keith sputtered. "She's back to normal."_

_Lance shook him and when that failed, finally resorted to slapping him. "Wake up, Keith! We're getting out of here!"_

_At last, Keith's sight cleared as he was being pulled from the cell. Allura was still standing in front of him. She grasped his hand strongly. _

_Keith shut his eyes for several moments and opened them to clarity. _

"_What's happened to him?" Allura asked worriedly, rushing forward to help. She was wearing the uniform they had stolen earlier. And by her side, Keith could recognize Sven._

"_What a dream," Keith said aloud, his voice slurred._

"_He was beaten," Lance answered as they rushed through the dungeon. "I think his wounds have become infected."_

"_I'm fine," Keith insisted, but he sounded drunk._

"_Where do we go?" Hunk asked after throwing Keith over his shoulder._

"_This way," Sven said. Keith thought it was a miracle to be hearing that voice again, that lovely accent he never thought would grace his ears again. He was unsure of what was going on, feeling this must be a dream if Sven was here, if Allura was out of her spell, yet somehow conscientious that he must be awake._

_Nothing made sense through the dizziness. He didn't know how Sven could be present, how he could have gotten into the palace and dungeon…_

_He was blacking out again. _

_It seemed a second later, though it had to be many minutes at least, that he felt revived enough to stand on his own two feet. He followed their brisk pace and then the cry rang out. They had been discovered. All split into separate groups and somehow he, the one who was scarcely conscious, ended up alone. He stumbled along, ducking behind doors and curtains all the way until he reached the kitchen, where no one lay at this hour. He was so dizzy he kept bumping into the wall for support. When he heard voices, he ducked into the dumbwaiter and went down, ending up in the pantry. He hydrated himself and ate, hoping the nourishment would garner him vivacity and the ability to sneak back up. Or at least take the damn dizziness away. It had been an hour at least, that he'd slept. And then he felt incredible in comparison to his prior condition._

Allura looked at him closely. "You were dreaming," she said with a small nervous laugh.

"Then how am I here?"

Allura herself was becoming unsure of what was what. Keith wasn't a jokster. He was down-to-earth so often of the time she found it hard to believe he would bring something up if he didn't mean it, especially now. " How you got here isn't important, I'm just glad you are. But right now, we have to focus on getting out of here."

He looked at her in the eyes at last, still relieved to see the blue. "I don't know where they are."

"Then we'll find them." She smiled, biting her lip to hold back tears. So long she had feared for him and desired for his presence and at last he was before her. He'd gone through more than physical pain. "I'm going to go back to the private sector of the palace and get another uniform."

He thought for a moment. "That's too dangerous. I should go."

Allura refused. "You're wounded. It would be too harsh upon you. If you are going to run around, it will be with me or not at all."

He admired the stubbornness, but was still doubtful. "How are you going to carry around a uniform and helmet without casting suspicion on yourself?"

"No one is in the private sector-"

"But they are around the kitchen and the borders-"

"And," she continued, "I can either find some sort of sack or put on a larger uniform over mine, and helmet. They have loads of different sizes, I swear to you." As ludicrous as it sounded, she was telling the truth. The guards weren't all the same height and weight, but fluctuated as much as any other group might. But she wasn't going to wait for Keith's answer. It had to be done.

Keith grabbed her hand. "Allura, please..."

She squeezed his hand in response. "Do you remember when you saved me from Lotor that day in the woods? I thought you would die, but you still kept running, even as your blood drained. You came to save me and kept going until your body collapsed." She swallowed, trying to still any trace of upset from her voice. She wasn't entirely succeeding. "While you were in the infirmary, I couldn't sleep- I couldn't think. I was numb. I swore to myself that I would never let you do anything in that state again. I'm going."

He was quiet for several moments.

"You taught me well, Keith," she reminded him gently. "I'll be careful."

"Come back to me safely." It bothered him to relent, as he was too concerned about her. If Lotor caught her, it was all over.

She put her helmet on, hiding the emotion that was overwhelming in her eyes. Something about how he had added "to me" made her heart swell, even if now was the most inappropriate time to feel such things or ponder over anything of that nature. "I will." That was one command she would follow wholeheartedly. It hurt to leave him there after so long apart, but she would return. Part of her was more relieved to be acting rather than having to wait. She acted as normal as could be done under the circumstances. The search was still in progress and all signs pointed to the others still being in hiding. Lance, Hunk, AND Sven. Allura forced herself to stop pondering and focused on the mission, the ultimate agenda. When she encountered other guards, she was as nonchalant as possible, continuing her actions whenever they appeared. If she was running, she continued to run; if she was searching in a spot, she continued to search. Searching was more for the benefit of disguise, to appear like a normal soldier. At last, she came to the private sector. Still empty, she preceded through its corridors and into the weaponry room. She found a much larger uniform and put it on over her own, as well as a larger helmet. It was the only way not to wander through the castle randomly carrying a uniform and evoking discovery. If one uniform was bad enough, two were torture. Before even leaving the room, Allura was sweating profusely and had to force herself to rush through the palace. She heard Lotor's voice in the distance and ducked the other way. As she busied herself outside the sector and feigned looking, she heard him barking orders. Still, they had not been found. She rushed for the kitchen. The whole scenario seemed ridiculous. It was almost too easy to steal uniforms here. But, she knew not to get cocky. At last, she wheeled herself down the dumbwaiter.

Keith still sat and stood in relief. "Thank God."

She smiled, removing both helmets and the outer uniform and was grateful for the ventilation. Slowly, she helped Keith get into his, taking care to help his back. His skin was fiery. "Keith, you're so warm…"

"It's the lashing," he said, as though they were speaking of gardening. "I've had some water and hopefully the hydration will help."

"We should wait before going up. I could hear Lotor. He sounded so angry..."

Keith held back a statement of bitterness.

Allura felt warm, and remained where she was. Keith looked at her carefully. "I want to ask you something," he admitted. "About Lotor and-"

"No," she said with a smile that instantly melted his fears. "Nothing happened." Her grin faded. "But I am technically married to him."

"I wouldn't say so," he assured her. "Yours vows were made under a spell. And what respect do we hold for Doom's rites?"

She laughed. "None at all." She looked down at his hand and smiled.

After he was zipped up within his suit, Allura started to draw her hand away, but he grabbed her wrist and, with closed eyes, dug his lips into it, through the material. "I want to tell you now, just in case…just in case." He didn't have to finish the sentence and wouldn't have been able to, anyway.

She put her hand on his cheek tenderly and he opened his eyes. "As I want you to know."

He dove for her lips faster than she expected and she wished for the feeling to linger, even in this situation, when they needed to make haste. It was brief, but her mouth tingled after he pulled back. She put her arms around him- taking care to link herself around his waist so as not to arouse the burning of his scars- lamenting quietly, "I wish I had said something…"

"I do, too. But don't talk like that." He held her tightly, his cool breath in her hair. "Now that you're back to yourself, I feel more like myself again. We never let the odds get us down before, did we?" She admitted this. Never once during any Voltron missions had anyone said, "Let's give up. It's too late. Doom is better than we'll ever be."

"We'll find them," he continued. "I was nearly unconscious, but I know where we should look. They mentioned something about Haggar's chambers."

"That's back near Lotor's sector," Allura said. She had never thought of looking in or even near there, but was certain that the area could yield several hiding places. The entrance was guarded just as Lotor's own sector was. "Shall we hurry or do you need time?"

"Just a moment," he said, trying to ignore the pain in his back. His arm was still around her waist.

A sound came from above. They instantly quieted and it soon became apparent there was to be a problem.

The padlock was scraping against the door. Someone was opening it.

Donning their helmets, the two hurried to the dumbwaiter. Keith made Allura get in first and as there was no room inside, clung to the waiter as Allura pulled on the rope. His back scraped the wall and he grimaced. "Go up farther," he whispered. "To the next level."

"No, that's where the Great Hall is," she replied. "We must go up one farther than that, and then retrace our steps to the witch's chambers." She pulled on that rope as hard as she could until they reached their destination. The dumbwaiter panel was closed, and she waited to be sure there were no voices before kicking it in. But they both put too much weight onto the dumbwaiter together. A horrible ripping sound ensued. "The rope is snapping!" Allura cried out in horror.

Keith managed to hoist himself through quickly as the ripping continued. He helped her out of the cramped space seconds before it went crashing down.

"We'd better hurry," Keith panted. "That will get their attention."

This area had already been searched, it was quite apparent. The two made their way down the right stairwells and finally reached the sector limits of Haggar's chambers.

"If they speak, you must reply," Allura told him. "I was terrified they would question me. My voice will give me away." There was no such thing as a female guard on Doom. Females not part of the court were either servants or part of the harem.

Keith prepared himself a piece of pithy dialogue in the event that they were questioned. No guards remained in front of the doors. Perhaps they had hurried off to search.

Keith and Allura did their own ransacking of the area, finding nothing.

"This is the last room." Keith braced himself as he opened it. This was where Haggar kept all her potions. It was a huge room, full of cauldrons, books, and strange concoctions.

"There's no one here," Allura said, her eyes scanning the room. Then she put a hand over her mouth. "Oh!"

Blood lay in a puddle, trailing across the room in the back corner, toward another door.

Voices erupted in the corridor. Keith grabbed Allura's wrist and pulled her behind the door, making sure she was closer to the wall and serving as her shield. He pressed his back against the wall, even with the erupting pain. Gritting his teeth, he held the laser up, ready to fire.


	10. Chapter 10

The Dark Emperor Ascends- Chapter Ten

First off, I want to apologize (sincerely) for the long hiatus. Please read my author's note at the end of this chapter.

--

Since Lotor had appeared on the roof of the Arusian palace, this whole ordeal had been a whirl of unanswered questions. For starters, how had Lotor gotten onto the roof in the first place? How had the Lions been malfunctioned seemingly beyond repair? Keith felt all of the inquiries beat at him as he and Allura waited, the only way to bear the anxiety over whether the Doomite soldiers would find them. Why had he seen Allura with him in the cell while everything else from his recollection had been pretty accurate? And, how had Allura's spell broken? The incantation had been strong enough to twist Allura's heart into a cruel knot, yet had dissipated long after Keith's attempts for no solid reason. Sweat broke out on his forehead. The passage of time was slow and difficult to endure now. He knew he was injured and scarcely able to fight, yet he had to protect Allura. There would never be an opportunity to escape the dungeon again. Lotor would end everything. Keith pushed his back harder into the wall as silence ensued. He could, very faintly, hear Allura's breathing next to him. Her presence kept beating at him to stay conscious, stay alert and vigorous enough to fight, if need be. But when his back touched the wall this time, a horrid burn occurred, worse than any of his prior battle wounds but for Lotor's near-fatal blow. Keith retracted himself from the wall instantly, but he was going too quickly to stop himself. His body hit the open door, which slammed shut. He shut his eyes for a quick moment in consternation as the sound echoed. The footsteps emerged again into their hearing and Keith quickly latched the door. They would come to break it down. Seizing Allura's hand, he led her to the back, where all the blood lay. He opened one of the corner doors. Several Doomites lay piled on top of one another in the closet, a cold bloodbath. Allura put one hand over her mouth. Keith took a step back just as the pounding began. He had heard about the experiments done upon lesser beings- as they were known on this planet- done here. While in the dungeon, some of the prisoners had been speaking in what he had presumed to be paranoid, hushed tones about needles and concoctions. But there was no time to dwell on that now. He immediately flung open the other door. Another storage closet full of the witch's spellbooks and potions lay within. There was no place to hide. The door was close to breaking in. With nowhere to run, Keith made the admittedly rash choice for them to hide under the main table in the room, beneath its cloth. It wouldn't last long, but enough to perhaps buy them time. Keith gritted his teeth beneath the table. His vision was starting to blur. He couldn't stop now. The door broke in. Allura's breath caught in her throat. They could see nothing, but hear the pursuer dash inside. Allura held the laser in her fist tightly. She felt her hand finally give out from the harsh clenching, and a spasm overtook the muscles. She nearly bit through her lip to avoid crying out in pain. But the gun did fall from her hand and clatter to the ground. Roaring, Keith stood and used the strength of his arms to force the table up into the guard, who was instantly knocked to the ground. Keith squeezed the trigger and fired at the Doomite with a growl, while his opponent rolled away at the sight of the laser, and the shot whisked into the ground, narrowly missing the helmet. As Keith stumbled forward and prepared his next shot, he immediately felt a horrid pit form in his stomach when he heard, "That was TOO close, Keith."

"Oh, God." Keith nearly dropped his laser.

"Good thing you have such poor aim."

"Only you would poke fun right now," Keith said grudgingly. He helped Lance up and felt more than a touch of anxiety just at the thought of how poorly the situation would be if he hadn't missed.

Allura, still crouched where the table had been, put a hand on her chest. "Thank God."

"We've been looking everywhere for you. But good thing Allura found you first. Or you found her…"

"She found me after we separated," Keith explained. "We both choice the same hiding spot."

"I am relieved that the true princess is back," Lance said.

Keith sighed. "You have no idea." If anything, at least _that_ was behind them.

"We can talk about this later," Allura said, surprising them both out of their reverie. She was smiling beneath her helmet at the reuniting. It was something she'd dreamed of since being captured. But the matters now were too pressing to ignore. "First let's get out of this horrid place."

With no chance for any questions, the three of them were racing down the corridor. "This way," Lance directed them. He was rushing down to the bottom floor. "There is an entrance used by the servants. It's how they got here. Sven told me how to get there before returning to the ship."

It seemed too easy to reach the stealth exit point. When they spotted the ship, Keith ran with the knowledge that they were about to be foiled any moment. But they reached their destination without any interceptions. Pidge and Sven were waiting in the control room. Immediately, Sven directed them upward and away from Doom.

Lance could not help but laugh softly, despite not being out of danger. Had Lotor truly underestimated them this much? The guards' uniforms were so easy to steal, several crucial exits not patrolled- the whole thing was almost comical. And perhaps it would have been without the number of casualties and mental stress that had taken place. It had perhaps been the most grueling experience he had ever faced, but for the day Earth- and everyone he knew but for the rest of the force- was destroyed. Keith hadn't wavered after that or their subsequent capture. And yet this, he had been ground down to grim exhaustion and near defeat. Lance was still inspired by his commander and yet this reminded him that even the bravest can reach a breaking point. Keith had always been the one to lecture and advice before; this time, Lance had been obligated to do so, for the sake of consolation during the dark time. There would be no giving up on either part, especially after all they had learned and been through. He watched Allura and Keith help each other out of the suits and felt comfort at knowing that for now- at least- they could be together.

After the Doom uniforms were removed, the princess held onto the commander tightly, her eyes full of tears. "I thought we would never get out of there." He closed his eyes, not wanting to yield to sensibility. But he felt obligated to remind her, "We're not in the clear just yet."

Allura was very quiet as the journey dragged on. "I want to tell you all how sorry I am for everything I did, while…"

Lance smiled at her. "You being back to normal makes up for it all."

"I'm lucky to have you for guardians." She was still unable to look at them, now out of profundity rather than guilt.

"And we're lucky to have you, princess." Pidge came over and hugged her tightly. "I've been so worried about you all these past few days."

Keith stroked her hair as she laid her head on his chest. Why was it the searing pain seemed almost gone? Perhaps the phrase "magic touch" was more than a metaphor. And though he shouldn't be doing this, holding onto her this way and breaking Coran's codes, he didn't care anymore. They had escaped Doom, with the possibility of recapture looming overhead. He wanted to treasure this moment. He wanted to yield to his own feelings for once in his life.

"You've saved us, Pidge. And Sven." He nodded to both of them gratefully. "I'm proud."

Sven's smile was bittersweet. "I almost wouldn't have had the strength. Until…"

Allura looked at him questioningly. "Until…?"

Sven and Pidge looked at each other, so merry that Allura wondered if she was seeing things. The back door opened, towards the cargo. Allura looked over her shoulder in surprise, as everyone was already in the cockpit, including Hunk. It seemed almost slow-motion, dreamlike. Her jaw dropped, as did Keith's.

"I should have warned you two about the good news." Sven chuckled softly. He had never been so happy in their presence, held such a glow. And though they were in peril, his reaction was not without merit.

Keith, getting over his astonishment, cracked a firm smile. "This explains my hallucination."

Allura's tears were bursting forth, no longer contained on the surface. "Romelle."

Romelle stood just as always, a small smile on her face. Allura ran into her arms and wept, her tears falling into her cousin's gold hair. She wanted to be sure this was real, not some cruel prank or dream. The touch seemed real and vivid. It wasn't a mirage. Unable to ask questions, Allura continued to sob, with great gulps rising from her chest.

Romelle looked down nurturingly. "I'm very lucky. If I hadn't washed up on the shore so soon after falling I would have been done, for certain." Allura didn't want to let go of her; she had been convinced for so long that Romelle was dead that this turn of events seemed impossible, something she hadn't even dreamed of. Romelle hugged her back. "And I come to a grand sight-your liberation from Doom."

She and Allura stood there for several minutes, until Allura had cried the last of her tears and gotten over the immediate shock. Romelle rubbed her back gently and led her to sit near the controls. She herself took a seat by Sven, who put his spare hand over hers.

Allura smiled through her tears at last. "It was you, wasn't it? You're the one that threw something at me during the wedding."

Romelle nodded. "My father taught me long ago of an old remedy to ease spells put on the mind. It only needs to be released in your vicinity, as a sort of dust inhaled through the lungs, to become effective. While we were in hiding and before we were able to get Keith and the others out of the cell, I was able to find the ingredients and stir them in her great cauldron, as everyone was distracted with the wedding or at the prison. It was there we took out the guards and threw them in the closet. We of Pollux know much about herbs and antidotes- it is this knowledge that has helped us work well against the dark arts. But against great weapons and battleships, we are weak."

"But…how is this possible?" This was why Allura was almost positive she was hallucinating.

Pidge took over the rest of the explanation. "While we were trying to repair the lions after the attack, a guard found Romelle at the edge of the moat, unconscious on the sand. Nanny took care of her while Sven and I tried to fix the lions. We tried to get in touch with you, but couldn't hear you over the communicators. After trying for days and hearing no word, we decided to come after you- in this- instead."

Allura hadn't known the full extent of relief until now. The whole burden seemed released. The unexpected never ceased to happen.

She looked at Romelle again, still in disbelief. "I pray right now that this is not a dream." It all seemed too good to be true.

Keith shook his head. "I promise you that this is, as far as what we know of such things, reality." He offered his hand, and she sat back down beside him, their fingers still laced.

"I was so guilty," she continued. "I thought I would never see you again and that I had failed to protect you."

"No, Allura. I let go of my own free will. That was my choice instead of being taken back to Doom." She herself looked quite sheepish as she looked back at Sven. "I would regret it if it had truly taken me from you all. But I am quite fortunate. There was no reason for you to be guilty." She stood and put her hands on Allura's shoulders. "The secret we tried so hard to keep from you is known now. What Lotor has done will always stalk me." The room grew tense and quiet. As Hunk and Pidge looked down, Lance spotted the anger in Sven's eyes. Keith also noticed this, and recognized the protective instinct he himself felt for Allura. This was the fear he had held so long for his princess, what he wanted so desperately to prevent, as well as anger at Lotor for even threatening her security. He put his other arm around her, a simple reminder of his dedication. "But Allura, it was NOT your fault. You think so because I look like you and you are his goal. But only Lotor is responsible for his own actions. You cannot be blamed for something someone else has done."

Allura finally nodded. "I am glad you are back."

She looked around the room for some time, all of their smiling faces.

"Voltron is blessed," she murmured, still misty-eyed.

Keith rested his cheek upon the top of her head. "And now we must put Voltron back together and fight again."

She nodded. "They'll come for us soon." She looked out the windows expectantly.

It would have seemed impossible beforehand to have such low hopes at this point. However, escape and recovery were marred by the knowledge that Doom would soon return.

"We still don't know how Lotor got to Arus without being detected. Or what he did to the lions." Pidge shook his head. "I tried everything to get them running again."

"We need Voltron," Lance said. "We can't face them in this."

"It's our weakest link. Without it, we're powerless."

"What should we do?" Hunk put the question directly to Allura. A anxious silence followed as everyone looked at her. Her brow creased. She stood and looked behind them, out towards the vastness of space. "We've defended Arus this long and worked this long to bring it back together. We can't stop now."

"But how do we fight, Allura?" Romelle asked her quietly. "We have to think of that ahead of time."

"We haven't uncovered Haggar's secrets," Allura admitted. "We don't know how half the things in this past week have happened. And yet, we have other weapons at Arus. We can keep them at bay for now with our own troops until Voltron is repaired."

"Doom's fleet will not take long," Sven said. "It will crush a defenseless Arus as it did when you were a child."

Allura kept her eyes out the window as Arus came into view. "My father once came to me at Lotor's palace. His words reminded me of another time. He told me of door unopened in the depths of the castle, one behind the control room. It was there we would find our help when Voltron was in danger. And, though I have only just recalled the vision, I feel I could find it and open it without trouble." She looked at them strongly, raising her chin defiantly. "Remember when you first came to Voltron. We had no idea how to work things. But we managed until now to do what we had to in order to use the lions. Now, as my father knew all about our weapon, we have the source of its power and how to use it in our hands. We simply have to find it."

Pidge took out his communicator and handed it to Keith. "We'd best start while ahead."

Keith took a deep breath. "Coran, are you there? This is Commander Keith. We are on our way back to Arus with the full crew."

Silence.

Allura bit her lip. She hadn't seen Arus since her abduction. It had been quite vulnerable since Lotor's arrival.

"Coran, are you there? This is urgent. Please, come in."

All of them looked at each other, uncertain when nothing happened. Everyone's eyes were to the floor. If there was nothing to return to, then all hope was lost.

"CORAN!" Keith was shouting now. "We need you!"

When nothing happened, he rested his head in his hands, his shoulders tense. He heaved a heavy sigh.

Static seemed to come from the other side. And then the sound of a voice. "This is Coran... is Allura..."

Allura sighed in relief.

"Yes, she's safe with us. Coran, we need some defense ready-"

"Doom has been here for days, Commander. They're invading the countryside and working their way to the castle gradually."

"We're on our way. But first, we need you to search for something. A door of some sort, behind the control room."

"Press into the walls, Coran," Allura said. "Search for hollowness. There should be a staircase or something behind it, on the right side." She looked down in awe at how the memories seemed to flood back into the open with a sudden burst. It was as though a pipe had broken and was now leaking everywhere, its presence demanding attention.

Coran's voice was fizzling in and out, but he seemed to be able to hear them perfectly well. It seemed that he was going to search now.

"Good thing this ship is way faster than the other one," Lance said as they waited. "We should get to Arus in a couple of hours." It was still a small dot in the distance.

Allura looked at Keith, who still held the communicator. Seeing her apprehension, he tenderly took her hand in his. Too many thoughts were swimming through his head. The threat of Lotor, Arus' welfare, Allura's safety and how badly he wanted to spend his future with her. And also, the sheer intensity of fighting without Voltron…speaking to Coran also reminded him of the meeting they'd had on the night of the abduction.

_"Who are you considering?" Keith's quiet voice inquired, revealing no emotion._

_"I am not sure. She must marry a prince, at least." Coran sighed. "I've looked into princes of our allies and am considering searching and screening all possibilities, whoever seems most desirous. An alliance with another planet would do Arus much good and would ensure the Arusian line would continue." He looked at the men carefully. "You've all been very candid with the princess. But that must cease as of now. She is not of your kind. She is royal and should be treated as such. She must interact with men of her own station."_

_Hunk gnashed his teeth. "For someone who is supposedly so grateful, you sure do seem to love insulting us, Coran."_

_"It's none of our concern who you choose to marry the princess to," Lance spoke up heatedly, also enraged by the comment. "Our job is to defend Arus, not get involved in politics."_

_"As defenders of Arus, you should know what I am considering," Coran said, not at all perturbed at the inflicted offense he had caused. "There is no need to be upset at my proposals. You all knew when you took this position that you were to be the guardians, not suitors, of the princess."_

_"Of course," Lance snapped. "There was never any question of that."_

"_Then I do not see the reason for this tension. All I ask is that our princess is treated as one of her blood is due. She's been spending far too much time with you than associating with men of higher status. And her parents would be quite disappointed in me for that. I will be sending messages to our allies and looking for the most eligible princes and kings."_

"_If you choose a king, does that mean that Allura will have to leave and go to her husband's planet?" Hunk asked._

_Coran was slightly flushed. "Yes. For certain she would visit and representation from the other planet would exist in ruling, but she would be obligated to go to her husband's planet. And once he is king if only a prince at first, then she will have to make that change."_

"_Then that would be giving up the family line to a foreigner." Lance raised his eyebrows. He remembered incidents in which other planets were not as trustworthy as they seemed._

"_There is little choice." Coran's voice was testy now. "The court is annihilated. Do you know why you don't see the high class men and women here in the castle? This is Arus' only hope, men. I would appreciate if you did not take that lightly."_

"_We do not take it lightly," Keith replied, still composed. "Are we to continue guarding Arus even while she is on another planet? Or are we to follow her for protection?"_

"_Do you expect her to remain on Voltron while a Queen?"_

"_No," he admitted. "But I would expect her to at least be able to remain on her own planet rather than have to send her husband's men to keep things in order."_

"_That is the only option."_

"_Have you _tried_ looking at others?"_

_They all looked at Keith in surprise for speaking out, even questioning Coran on this sort of matter._

"_You're out of line, Commander." _

"_I am only thinking of Arus. Its Queen belongs here after all the rebuilding. Arus may be my second home, but I've grown very attached and dedicated in the time we've protected it. The subjects want their Queen, and they are calmed each day with the knowledge that she is here, ready to aid them when needed. It is not only us that has helped restore Arus, Coran. But Allura's presence and goodwill has helped the people come to terms with the past and look for the future. They believe that Arus can rise forth again and become the great place it once was, independent. And they'll stop believing when their princess is gone and foreign troops patrol all around. They'll think Arus can never put itself back together alone. And even if there are no heirs, the throne will pass to someone from that planet. It won't even be joint rule. It will be ownership."_

_A sort of mutual tension filled the room. Aside from being incredulous that Keith was talking back to Coran, for his comrades his words packed a powerful punch in the gut. Lance, especially, was moved. Leave it to Keith to show that the force actually cared and wasn't in this business just for rewards. _

_Coran's gaze was icy. "Gentlemen, I would like to speak to your commander alone."_

_Awkwardly, Pidge and Hunk moved from the room while Lance idled and threw Keith a "What the hell?" look before departing._

_Coran was quiet for several moments. Keith knew he had said something wrong immediately. At last, someone had seen through that demeanor of his- Coran had finally glimpsed Keith's secret. Keith didn't let his stance waver and waited patiently (though not without anxiousness) over what Coran would say. _

"_We have had a similar discussion once before, Commander. I'm sure you recall."_

"_When we spoke on Allura's life should Lotor obtain her? Absolutely." He looked down. "It is something I do not fail to take into account at night, or whenever I hear the name of Doom."_

"_Then you also remember what I told you about Allura and your feelings for her. Use them to protect her. But, what I failed to mention how your role must play out or that I suspected just how deeply you felt." He exhaled loudly. "I know the truth, Keith. All of it. It's become more and more obvious, despite how you hide it. But you come from Earth with nothing but your name, a common one. You have no royal blood, nothing that can be brought to Arus' restoration. Despite your excellence, you are a Commander only. You cannot marry Allura."_

_Keith looked down. "I never proposed such a thing."_

"_Ah, but it is on your mind." Coran's face softened slightly. "I was a young man once, Keith. And I understand how you feel. But things cannot be this way. IT cannot be."_

_Keith nodded. "I have always known that, Coran."_

_Even though this was true, Keith still felt the lingering patter and sting of bitter disappointment echo through his mind. _

"_Listen to me, Keith. We must do what is best for Arus. And a foreign marriage is the only option."_

_Keith nodded again. "Yes, sir."_

"_Act out your loyalty by protecting her. Remain her bodyguard. But you can be no more."_

_Looking at Keith, no one would have deemed him crushed in the slightest, simply serious. As much as it ate at the back of his mind, he had always known he couldn't have Allura. It was simply reality being confirmed. He sighed inwardly. He understood his duty fully and promised to fulfill it. He just hoped the burning desire would subside in time._

_He came out into the hall, where the others waited._

"_What was that all about?" Lance's eyes were narrowed. Keith was almost certain he knew, but only shrugged in response._

"_Coran seems serious this time," Pidge said. "He's really determined about this."_

"_I don't think Allura will want to leave." Hunk was skeptical. "Would she agree to such a match?"_

"_She will do what is best for Arus," Keith said nonchalantly. "As will we." _

_And that was when screams had interrupted their conversation and sent them running to the rooftop._

Now Allura's head rested on his shoulder. Minutes had passed in silence as he had been pondering over these events. Sven and Romelle, still hand-in-hand, sat still watching pensively. Hunk and Pidge looked edgy. Lance was tense. Keith knew he needed to focus on the present rather than the future at this moment. There was no sense in thinking of his life with Allura after this if they weren't going to get through it. He needed to try harder in suppressing his thoughts. But there was so much to worry about his mind couldn't help but wander. First and foremost, what he considered most important was right in his arms. He wasn't going to let Lotor have her back, that he made most clear. Of course, asserting this wasn't the same as accomplishing such a grand feat. A voice startled him out of his reverie.

"Coran, are you there?"

Coran's voice was still statically coming in over the transmitter but he was speaking loud enough to be heard clearly. "I found it…let's see…it-…"

"Louder, Coran!"

"It's some sort of room, full of drawings, art…" The static was still there, but now his voice was easier to understand. "It's Voltron's origin, its legacy all in one. There is some sort of book, large and old, very old. I believe it is a guidebook to Voltron."

"Look into it Coran. See if you can find any way to repair the lions from black magic interference. We're on our way." He looked at the others. "That's our goal, then. We'll use it to restore Voltron."

Coran checked back occasionally over the next few hours with things he had uncovered. Keith took the time to rest while Allura tended more to his back. While he was no longer dizzy, things still seemed blurry and inconceivable. The past week held a great deal of things to soak in.

When at last Arus' landscape was in sight, Coran found some sort of directions over what could be done to ease Voltron after a malfunctioning. "The directions are quite complex, Commander. But I trust that we will be able to solve this issue if we all work on it diligently. I will do what I can to decipher its meanings until your return."

Allura had never been happier to see Arus than at this moment. Though Doom was invading, it seemed fine and lush. It was a true comfort.

Until a harsh impact slammed directly into them. The airship shook violently as everyone cried out in surprise.

"We've been hit!" Sven yelled. The airship was beginning to nosedive. Desperately, he worked at the controls and fought to even out the level of their altitude. They hadn't been too high up, but to crash at this height was not a pleasant picture. Keith grabbed Allura's hand as the ship got closer to the ground. From just a few feet above, all of them couldn't help but fear. He decided not to even picture failing to make it through the crash. He braced himself and focused on Allura's safety. Inch by Inch, Foot by Foot, the ground became closer. Allura squeezed her eyes shut just before impact.

The ship collided with the land, hitting hard and tumultuously.

Everyone pitched forward. Sven slammed his head on the controls while Pidge slid across the cockpit and hit the wall. Before the collision, Keith tried to ignore the pain in his back as he bundled himself around Allura to protect her from the impact. He managed to grip hard enough to the seat with one hand to keep from falling. Lance fell against Hunk, twisting his leg with the fall. Romelle had managed to grip her seat hard enough to keep from pitching into the wall, but still fell onto the floor, while Allura was protected from the primary force due to Keith. All of them in their various shocked states lay stunned for a few minutes, in a stunned silence. Groaning, Keith forced himself to his feet and looked out the window. Due to the steep angle the craft now lay in due to being embedded into the ground, he was compelled to grip the wall to keep from falling. He looked up expectantly, his senses entirely correct; the ships of Doom were circling overhead. It was then he made an instant decision. "Everyone, hurry to the castle. It's not too far away from here. Work with Coran to get the lions fixed."

"If you think you're going to fight Lotor alone in your condition, you're out of your mind, Keith." Lance stood, but his leg caused him to grimace.

"Perhaps I am. But don't question me. You're wasting time."

Sven, his forehead bright red from the impact, didn't hesitate. He grabbed Romelle's arm and hastened away. Pidge was right behind them. Keith looked at Hunk and Lance. "Go!"

Lance shook his head violently. "You're crazy! Your back is still in pieces-!" He gasped when Hunk threw him over one shoulder.

"You can still fly the lion with a bad leg. We're going." Hunk looked at Keith without a trace of doubt. His loyalty was deep enough to trust what his comrade said.

Lance let out a frustrated growl and looked up at Keith as Hunk took off. "You better survive this, Keith, or I'll never forgive you!"

Keith gave a wry smile. He turned to see that Allura was still next to him. "Hurry!"

She hesitated. "I can't leave you."

"I need you to leave. Please. You need to help Voltron."

"But we can't fly without you-"

"Sven can use his Blue Lion again. And you will fly in my place, just as you did when we gave you such a hard time about it. You've already proved yourself worthy. Take the Black Lion for me." When she seemed about to protest again, he put his hands on her shoulders, his dark hair sweeping forward slightly as he looked down at her. "We cannot win without it. It's up to you and everyone else while I hold Lotor at bay. Please hurry. If you stay, Lotor will try for you again. And-" he added quickly when he ascertained that this was not enough to sway her- "Voltron can't be flown. Go. For me." He put a hand softly over her silky golden hair. "This is the only way."

She threw her arms around him quickly in an embrace before rushing after the others.

_Just in case…_

The words resonated through his head. That was the unspoken reason for her departing actions. And though his fighting side told him not to think of the harsh ultimatum, he was grateful that she given him such a gift, even if he was to fall.

Keith watched her go somberly, until her form was out of his sight. He heard the sound of the ships getting closer. Grabbing up his laser, and the sword that lay by the captain's seat, he waited outside of the airship for Lotor to descend. He knew his opponent well. The personal ship was landing while the others went on ahead, toward the castle. He staggered to maintain his position. On all sides, they were surrounded. But the King of Doom wanted a battle with him alone now. Keith tried to ignore his wounded condition and focused on all he had ever learned about battle. His thoughts scattered, he could feel the exertion working its way through him, his forehead breaking out again with perspiration. He focused his eyes on his target and searched for more motivation. He thought of everything, all that Lotor had ever done and what he would do should he win. And Keith realized that there was never before a time in his life that he truly wanted to kill a man. Other times, it was for defense. But now, deep anger surged within him. He wanted to end this now so there wouldn't just be a cloud hanging over he and Allura forever, over the entirety of Arus. Doom needed to fall for good or this would be an endless cycle. And he didn't want that to happen. This was enough. He staggered farther from the ship to allow for more room and fought to keep his back at ease. His boots wedged deeper in the ground for support. Regardless of whether or not he could marry Allura, he would always be her guardian. And he would be sure Lotor never left this battleground to obtain her. He was tired of draws and more pain. He would end the Prince of Doom's reign. No- a prince no longer. He was an Emperor and head entirely of this reign. It wouldn't be borne. He would fight to his end for everyone. For her. He thought of his favorite image, her soft face smiling for him. Even should he fall, he would be happy knowing he had gotten affirmation and seen her again. These thoughts remained at the back of his mind.

Holding his weapons tightly- enough that they shook with intensity- he waited for his opponent.

--

Four months is a long time to wait for an update and I want to thank everyone for being patient and writing such constructive reviews. I debated over the fate of Romelle for a long time and I hope you're pleased with the result. I was pretty sure I was going to have the unhappy alternative be the case, but I changed my mind (as some clues in the previous chapter especially have pointed out). Also, I wanted to go back and explore the meeting Allura eavesdropped on in the first chapter so that we could see the rest of the context and understand the extent of Keith's feelings on the topic and why his fear of Lotor nabbing Allura is so high, whereas when in other situations he would never be that upset. The next chapter will be the finale and I will try my best to have it up soon, though I am certain it will be quite long in comparison to the other chapters. I apologize for any messiness, but I truly wanted to get this chapter out and let everyone know the story is still going. I hope you enjoyed it!


	11. Chapter 11

I feel very, very guilty. Showing my face after not updating for two years. I don't want to make excuses, but it's been a big roller coaster ride and I've had this doc sitting in my computer waiting to be finished. I kept telling myself that I would have to wait, didn't want to just end it badly. So here's where I'm going to try to give you guys the ending you've been waiting for. I'm so, so sorry for the delay and you guys are the best for giving me so much feedback.

The Dark Emperor Ascends- Epilogue

Usually when Keith was apprehensive, whatever he feared or worried about seemed to happen faster than it should, almost with deliberate haste. But it seemed- though this was doubtful- that Lotor was taking his sweet time to land and face him. That made the anxiety worse. _I can't fight with my back this way, I can't fight with my back this way._ The words pounded through his head repeatedly, however much he tried to brush them out, listening to the sound of the rainfall. Lance had once told Keith that in battle, he seemed perfectly confident and without petty fear. This was and had never been true. There was always some level of worry. But his father had taught him how to keep a level head, the illusion of no fear.

Keith remembered now the first time he had held a sword, as a very young boy of seven or eight. The blade had seemed very heavy at the time, but his father had given him lessons. First, how to swing and get a feel of balance. Then agility and how to move with the sword well. And finally, battle tactics. After supper each evening, they would practice together. Keith had never known his mother, and his father rarely spoke of her. He only knew she had died bearing him. Depressed greatly, his father had thrown herself more and more into swordplay, teaching his son once he was old enough. It was a great time that Keith remembered fondly. He had decided that he, too, would follow in his father's footsteps and fight for Earth. He had supported Keith greatly, writing letters to him when he was off training and keeping his morale up. Each time he returned from a mission, they would spend time together, talking into the night. Keith never forgot the day he was able to best his father at the blade- his father had nearly wept, not from shame, but pride. On that last mission day, all had seemed normal. His father complained a little about some back aches, but nevertheless followed Keith to the door and said his goodbyes, telling him they would celebrate his victory again. While Lance screamed at the top of his lungs at the sight of Earth's ruins, Keith sat in disbelief and apparent indifference- but inside, he was kicking himself, wishing he'd embraced his father one more time, at least had said, "I love you" instead of refraining for the sake of masculinity, or that he'd taken his father with him. Keith had learned from his father to never have his feelings completely obvious if troubled, to hold discretion. This incident made him withdraw into that façade even more so. Inside, he had panicked and been as upset as Lance and the others, his mind SCREAMING that this couldn't be real. It was one of those moments when the mind searched for what had happened, resting on the worst possible scenario. The stomach grinded, the heart cried- until relief came at realizing that the fears were unwarranted- but there was no relief this time. However, he'd had a plane to pilot away and no time for outward mourning, as Doom's ships were heading straight for them. Yet sometimes, when the other men had gone to sleep, he sat up at night and thought about his father and Earth. One particular conversation came to mind as Keith watched Lotor walk out of the ship, into the open.

The King wore his ax helmet and appeared smug as always with his laser sword at his side. Keith stepped out to meet him, trying to ignore his back and remembering instead.

When Keith was about twelve, he had asked his father, "If I'm wounded in battle, what should I do? Run?"

"If you cannot even wield your sword and have no other option, yes. But if you can still fight, and especially if running is not an option, you must power on through your pain. You must continue to fight as though you are perfectly healthy, or else you will never survive. Sometimes the mind can be very powerful, son. Sometimes, it can be what keeps you alive with more power than your body could ever lend."

Keith wondered if this was true. He had fought with scratches, tears, and lesser injuries, but never with an infected, torn series of wounds. As soon as he walked out of the ship, sword in hand, he instantly became drenched; the rain had become relentless. Here was the beginning. Keith tried to focus on the dampness, feeling the material of his clothing stick to his skin, leaving an almost sticky feeling. Lotor, he noted, was not smirking or smiling in any manner whatsoever. Perhaps as that was always his demeanor- to be obnoxious- Keith had automatically attributed this factor to his opponent. It was almost horrifying to see Lotor expressionless, even more so than angry. He looked almost untouched by the rain, completely stoic. But Keith knew there would be a speech, as always. Keith stopped about ten feet away, and the two men regarded one another. Keith, though he felt like a coward for thinking such things, hoped he could buy enough time until Voltron was repaired and could come. This was the first time he ever doubted himself so much and felt he could truly lose a battle. That he could die. He waited for Lotor to speak.

The storm grew worse. He felt the drops slap and spill down his face, listened to the thunder's rumble pierce through the sky. Keith grimaced, trying to control all of his anger. "How did you get on the roof?"

Lotor raised his eyebrows slightly at the sudden question, the drops clinking off the axes of his helmet. "I flew," he said cheekily.

"You know what I meant, you son of a bitch."

"Your castle is not as safe as you believe it to be. I hope you learned something that night. Arus is now mine, and the castle will soon be a stronger fortress than it ever was. "

Keith tensed, realizing Lotor was about to swing. He needed to keep him talking. "What are you going to do with the castle? I thought you would just destroy it."

Lotor cracked a smile, his fangs in view. "The Voltron commander trying to stall? This is rich. But no more. I've been waiting too long to rip into your flesh."

Keith spun to avoid the blade, and Lotor kicked him to the ground with one stomping boot. Keith collapsed into the mud, and slipped once more upon trying to get up. Lotor put that boot down as hard as he could, igniting Keith's back again. Keith nearly shrieked, but instead, he used his sword to slice Lotor's ankle from behind. He hollered and retracted his foot while Keith got up, somehow managing not to slip in the mud. He looked at the blood on the sword now, almost instantly taken away with the rain.

Keith looked at Lotor- who still cursed over his injury- and, with his opponent distracted, threw his blade, striking him in the shoulder expertly. Lotor roared now, a noise unlike anything Keith had ever heard before. Lotor extracted the blade with a blunt hiss and threw it back, narrowly missing Keith's face. He could actually feel the wind from the throw and the rain which bounced off the weapon on his face. He flinched, wishing that he had hit Lotor in the chest instead, straight through the heart. The two wounds he had inflicted were in minor areas- now he needed to go for the major targets. He had no opportunity to go backwards for the discarded knife and instead aimed his laser, which had been hidden until now. He fired twice, missing the agile Doomite. Though he did so surprisingly well for a wounded man, Keith could see Lotor's pain as he moved and continued to fire, in hopes that he would hit him. He managed a hit into the side. Now Lotor was more enraged than ever. Keith was so startled by his noise that when Lotor charged for him, he was too stunned to react. The Emperor barreled into him, knocking him onto his back and pummeling him with his fists, all weapons aside. Keith fought back, forgetting all about the restriction of his movements. He yelled back. Lotor grabbed him by the throat and Keith bit through one of his hands. Before long, both of them were covered in blood. When Keith knocked Lotor backwards, his helmet flew off and his ivory hair became soaked with rain. Somehow, the sight of him uncrowned seemed to fuel Keith. He rushed forth, trying as hard as he could to push Lotor off the cliff- the same courtesy Lotor has given him during their first battle. Keith had fallen, but not very far. This cliff was much deeper and would rid him of his nefarious rival forever. After what Lotor had done to Earth, his father, his force… Keith could feel no mercy. This nightmare would only end when he was ridden of him forever. Lotor resisted, fighting him through the push. Keith knew he, too, could easily be thrown over. But he thought of his men, and Voltron. And especially, Allura. The image of Lotor touching her, doing anything to her…he pictured Allura sobbing and begging him for mercy while Lotor continued to touch her. Keith slammed his fingers into the shoulder wound and Lotor gasped tensely, the pain clear. Keith didn't hesitate. He grabbed Lotor by the throat and flung him off the precipice. He watched his greatest enemy fall over. Keith watched, drenched, as he vanished from sight. There was no possibility of him ever returning to hurt any of them again. His hair glued to his forehead and cheeks, he collapsed on the ground. It was almost difficult to feel relief, just at the fear of what had been done to Arus and the possibility of the return of Doom.

Keith staggered to his feet and headed for the castle, before plummeting facedown in the mud, his body on fire despite the chilly downpour. He turned onto his back, trying to regain his strength. Through his fluttering eyelids, he saw a sight he would never forget. It was enough to make him smile.

The flight of Voltron.

It seemed only a few minutes later that the Black Lion alone was flying towards him and Allura was beside him, in horror at his state. "Keith. Keith! Can you hear me, Keith?" He'd never heard her say his names so many times in one conversation, let alone a sentence. It was nice. It was this delirious thought that made him realize just how dire his condition was and that he must have been lying there for much longer than it had been assumed. He tried to speak and nothing came out. At last, as he saw the multi-colors of the lions in view, he said weakly, "He's gone. He'll never touch you again."

When Keith woke up, he was warm at last, wrapped in many blankets and in his usual turquoise pajamas, his hair dry. Lance sat in the corner of the room, waiting. He perked up at the sight of Keith opening his eyes and sat on the end of his bed. "Hey, buddy." He smiled, using that soft, serious voice he always had in delicate situations. "How are you doing?"

Keith sat up, slightly confused and still fatigued to some degree. "What happened?"

"We beat back the Doom forces. There's been a lot of damage to the towns. Allura is taking care of business right now with Coran. Everyone else is trying to help the people." Lance nudged him proudly. "You finally took care of Lotor. I knew you had it in you."

Keith sighed. "I just kept thinking about everyone and how we would never be free of Doom. I got so fucking sick of this. Something from inside me just took over."

"There is always the possibility they will return. I don't know who their next king would be. "

"Haggar!" Keith burst out, realizing he hadn't seen her in days. "She'll come-"

"Haggar is dead. When it was discovered that she'd failed the Crown prince, they impaled her, just like Lotor always threatened to do. Foolish, really. She would have made it harder to fight them."

Keith looked around the room, so relieved to be back to the mundane atmosphere. "I still want to know how she got our lions and the barrier."

"What can we ever know about sorcery? It's not what we were made for." He changed the subject upon Keith's look and grinned. "Are you feeling well?"

Keith smiled. "Much better." He could feel the bandages on his back, which felt much improved. His face and body were still bruised from the scuffle. A look in the mirror showed blackened eyes and tousled hair. His back hurt with every step, but he didn't care. It was worth it all just knowing of their victory for the time being. He stumbled over to his closet.

"What you doing?" Lance followed him across the room. "You should stay in bed."

"I have to talk to her." He pulled his pajamas over his head.

"You have to rest. Besides, Allura is out and about with business. And you'll scare her looking like that."

Keith couldn't help but laugh at that and finally slipped back into bed. "All right." He relented only because he wanted to be at full strength when meeting with her. He still had no idea what to say or do. He knew Coran would never relent to their union, no matter what he said or did. But at least Allura knew how he felt. He still had much to tell her, wanted to spill the contents of his soul to her. She had no idea just how deep his feelings were. It was for her, because of her that he'd been able to defeat Lotor.

After Lance left, he went back to sleep. For the next few days, he did not even see Allura but for quick glances across the hall. But Coran was always ushering her away to do other things, constantly speaking of more affairs. In that time, the bruises on his face lightened and his scars healed more. Soon he was walking around at ease, back to his normal self, though the marks would be on his back for a long time. He waited as patiently as he could for her to find time for him but ultimately threw himself back to work with the others. Keith worked, reverting to the old routine of ignoring his deep emotions. He stood on the balcony of the castle one night and looked at the stars.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned, hoping for Allura. But it was Coran. Keith turned towards him respectfully and waited for the letdown of a lifetime, the speech he had expected. Instead, Coran beckoned to him and said, "Follow me, Commander." Keith obliged, following Coran into the corridor, and at last into the meeting room. The older man shut the door behind them.

"I've been meaning to speak with you this past week. I apologize for keeping you waiting. This has been a trifling week for us all." Keith waited for him to continue, still tense. "What I have wanted to say to you is how grateful I am for your saving of Allura." He looked away. "I have treated you and your comrades with contempt despite all you have done for Arus. And I am sorry for it. I hope you can accept my apology."

"Of course, sir." Keith was surprised to hear such a request from Coran. It hadn't been what he was expecting.

Coran opened a small box. Inside was a golden key, which he used upon the back door, a door Keith had never seen open. Coran acknowledged his internal queries by noting, "This key has not been used in many years. Not since the destruction of Arus and the reconstruction from the damage. I went inside to see it mainly intact. Then I closed this door and never wanted to open it again until Allura was made Queen, so I could show her. I have decided to show you first." Now Keith was even more baffled than before, yet felt a mingling of honor beam from within. When Coran shut the door behind them, Keith was astonished by the glow the room held, by small glowing circles in the wall, a dark greenish blue. Now he could see Coran clearly as he opened a closet within. The small, velvety case he withdrew held a beautiful golden crown, encrusted with gems and diamonds. "It is the crown she is to wear upon ascension. Which shall be very soon. We cannot be without a king for much longer." He returned the crown and now withdrew a large canvas. It was a painting. Keith immediately recognized the former King, Allura's father as one of those in the picture. The one time Keith had been compelled to speak to this man through clairvoyance- an event he still had difficult fathoming- was forever seared within his memory. King Alfor sat with his Queen, both donned in rich silk robes and beautiful crowns. The Queen had a transparent veil fastened over her head, but her face was in full appearance, some of her golden hair peaking out. Below them, the Queen held the Princess, just a child of a year old, swaddled in her arms, golden hair already covering her head fully. What captivated Keith was that Allura's bright blue eyes seemed so deep and protruding. It was almost as if she had sensed her extraordinary destiny even at such a tender age.

"This portrait was completed just one day before the invasion. It was placed here by me to present to their majesties at the banquet of the court the next evening. But as the guests gathered and I was on my way to retrieve the painting, the invasion began." His voice was soft. "I will never forget the glow of the fire, brighter than anything I have ever seen. Everyone was in a panic, running, screaming. By the time I found them, the King and Queen were dead. The nursemaid who had held Allura tried to run, but she was struck down. I was scarcely able to save her. I will never forget the look in her eyes. She did not cry, she just seemed astounded. I managed to escape with her, finding Nanny on the way. We hid in the hills until the invasion was over. Then we returned to the palace, which was badly damaged. The entire court was gone. Only some of the peasant inhabitants and servants had survived. We tried to rebuild, to move on. But Allura grew up alone, with only I to lead her. She thrived in her studies, but was terribly distraught by the strife of her people. Your arrival brought everything to life again. I have given it thought, commander. The marriage of Allura to a foreign king would give away control. But…if she were to marry one of no separate land, then we would retain Arus in our own control. The court can be rebuilt by the others and their marriages, perhaps some Polluxians would not object to joining the court after the Princess Romelle and Sven have wed. If there is any planet we would not be wary of mingling with, it would theirs, particularly because Romelle and Allura are blood related. And Commander, what I try to say to you now- which may not be quite so clear- is that you may have Allura." Keith stared, knowing he had heard wrong. "You have proven yourself worthy. And I believe that selflessness and courage are just what the King needs- and what Arus needs."

Keith somehow said, "Does- Allura know?"

"I've not yet told her. I plan to take her into this room after we finish speaking to hear her opinion."

Keith beamed. "I don't know what to say."

"Say nothing but that you promise to rule Arus with the same respect and valor you have shown up to this point. And that you will treat her well. That is all the affirmation I need."

Keith nodded and Coran placed a golden ring upon the young man' s finger. "This belonged to our king. Honor both him and his daughter." Keith almost could have hugged Coran, but instead smiled and set up a meeting with him; he had much to learn about Arusian politics. "A commoner should never marry the princess," Coran noted. "But every rule must undergo an exception from time to time, mustn't it?" Keith regarded him blissfully, a pit of glee and nervous excitement churning in his belly. "And I believe that this exception is a most worthy man indeed."

That night, Keith waited for Allura to approach him. He returned to the balcony to watch the stars, finding it the perfect setting to speak to her under. When she finally did return, back in her signature pink gown, Keith took her by the hands at once. She seemed bashful this evening and so he lifted her up into a spinning circle, causing her to laugh in the manner he had missed all this time.

"Does this mean you accept?" He asked her seriously.

She smiled shyly, her eyes lowered. "Of course I do." He bent to kiss her, but she put one hand on his chest to stop him, her smile gone. Taking his hands again, she said, "But I must confess something to you. I just…do not know how to say the words."

He knew when he pulled back that something very troubling was on her mind. And no wonder- Lotor had had her for days. "Anything," he said. "Anything you have to say, I want to hear it."

"I'm not pure anymore. Lotor…" Her face contorted. "Used his fingers and I bled." He put a hand on her face, which was now wet with tears of shame. "Will you still take me as I am?"

He took her by the shoulders. "Allura, I love you. Even if Lotor had-"he stopped a moment, searching for words-"done everything there was to do, I would still love you. He couldn't change you. He couldn't destroy you. Being his prisoner must have been the most frightening thing in the world for you and I swear I will never have you go through anything like that again. You must believe me when I saw that you are not worth any less to me because of this."

Having been told all her life the court's dogma on virtue, Allura was still unsure that the trouble was behind them , even with his kind words. "But I bled…"

He shook his head. "I don't care. That doesn't make you impure or spoiled goods and I don't care what the court rules say. You're a person, Allura. And you should be treated like one." He wasn't sure what else to say. He couldn't go back in time and stop Lotor from hurting Allura, though he'd have liked to kill him again. "My biggest concern is you and if you're going to recover from this whole disaster. What can I do to help?"

She smiled a little. "And I was more worried about how you would feel."

He grasped her hand tighter. "You must think of yourself more."

"Romelle has helped me a great deal," she admitted. They'd spent several hours the night before speaking about the whole situation. Romelle had finally assured Allura that she did not blame her for the treatment she'd received from Lotor. _"Why should you have to apologize when he's to blame?"_ Romelle asked her. She'd also comforted Allura about this situation, fearing Keith's reaction. _"You know he'll still love you."_ But she'd felt ashamed until now. "I am grateful I went through nothing like she did, but she's so inspiring. Strong, brave. You would never know…"

"That's because she didn't let him destroy who she was. He may have thought he was doing just that, but he wasn't." He smiled encouragingly. "She made it so she wasn't just a victim like Lotor thought. And so did you. You proved how strong you are."

She looked at their hands, the twin rings of Arusian royalty now on their fingers. "My father came to me. He told me to be strong and that I could get through anything. But I was more afraid on Doom than I ever have been in my whole life. And that fear made me feel weak, not like a leader should. But I remembered, too, your words about fear. I've accepted that I am just like anyone else, despite my rank. But I have to push myself more than others. I can't sit around sobbing about what's been done. I have a whole planet of people to serve." That wasn't a gripe, but something she was proud of. Now that Lotor was actually dead she had nothing to fear from him; and Keith would help her recovery just fine. She'd been concerned that the Emperor's face would haunt her even after his death, but the words of her father, Romelle, and Keith had all served to make her stronger. The way a Queen was supposed to be. "I used to fear it was my fault. Him coming after me so much. But now I know better. I haven't felt ready to take the crown once in my whole life until now. I think I am even more ready to serve the people, because of that fear I had and the vulnerability. I want to do everything I can to make things better for Arus."

He put his hand on her face. "And I think I was afraid to think about being the King until what you just said." He put his lips on her forehead. "Are you sure you're all right?"He put his forehead right to hers, getting closer than he ever really had been before.

She nodded. "I'm more than all right. I'm ready. Mostly, I'm just happy because now I can have you." She choked up. "And now I know I'm not worth any less to you," she finished tearfully.

Keith wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply, his eyes shut with awe and disbelief that this woman, who he'd loved for so long, was now his; this time, there would be no brevity in their embrace. He was ecstatic, still reeling over the fact that after so many troubled nights and thoughts of her at the back of his mind, she was going to be his wife. He ran his hand over the thick silkiness of her hair, breathed in her rose-like scent. At last. An existence of virtual solitude, constant duty, and being a shell: It was over. He still wasn't entirely sure about being King, but as she stood in his arms, he knew it would work. They would put all the trouble of Lotor and Doom behind them after all these years of hating them for Earth's destruction. But there was no time worth dwelling on the pain. He cradled her now, grateful beyond words that he and his companions had ever found Arus, the planet of great beauty and green earth they'd come upon entirely by chance.


End file.
